Lamont Paris’ Gamecocks top Presbyterian for second straight win. What we learned
The wins haven’t come easily for the South Carolina men’s basketball team in Lamont Paris’ first season.
Before Sunday night’s home matchup against Presbyterian, three of the Gamecocks’ four wins on the season were decided by no more than three points.
Sunday’s game against the Blue Hose — a team with just two wins this year — provided its own unexpected challenges, with Presbyterian rallying to take a lead in the second half.
But the Gamecocks (5-4) prevailed 68-57, dealing the Blue Hose (2-9) their ninth loss of the season.
“Games like this are going to help continue to build character, belief and toughness,” Paris said. “I think it’s really good for our guys to continue to get those experiences, and the more that they do that, the more they’re going to believe in themselves to perform. As we get into conference games, most games are going to be tight. And so to have that, that history to fall back on, just helps with your belief.”
Here’s what we learned.
USC survives mid-game scare
The Gamecocks got off to a dominant start against the Blue Hose, making 12 of their first 17 field goals in one of their best displays of shooting this season.
But as has often been the case for this new-look USC roster, the Gamecocks then hit a prolonged cold spurt.
For a nine-minute stretch from the end of the first half through the beginning of the second, PC went on an 18-2 run against the Gamecocks. USC’s once-crisp offense became stagnant and sloppy, and the Gamecocks struggled to apply pressure on the defensive end.
But the Gamecocks regrouped midway through the second half, thanks to clutch play from veterans Hayden Brown and Meechie Johnson, who helped fuel a game-changing 14-0 run. The 6-foot-5 Brown made a rim-rattling dunk and a 3-pointer to power that run.
“I try to self reflect in moments where it does get down and it’s like, ‘OK, what can I do? How can I be a better teammate? How can I pick somebody up? What can I do in or energy wise?” the 24-year-old Brown said. “If that’s a dunk and a 3 — then that’s what it was today. If it’s picking the teammate up and encouraging him next game, then that’s what it is.”
Jackson keeps rolling
Star 17-year-old freshman GG Jackson caught fire in the second half of last week’s win at Georgetown, scoring 22 points in the half — tying his career-high game total — to help lead the Gamecocks to victory.
The 6-foot-9 forward picked up where he left off on Sunday, pacing the Gamecock offense against the Blue Hose.
Displaying his varied skill set of 3-point shooting, shot-creating and post moves, Jackson scored 14 first-half points on 5-of-7 shooting to give the Gamecocks an early jolt. He slowed down somewhat after halftime, adding just four more points to his total for a game-high 18.
Jackson came into the game leading USC with 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest, living up to his billing as one of the top freshmen in the country.
Big men scuffle, USC goes small
In last week’s win over Georgetown, the Gamecocks leaned on a smaller three-guard lineup for the large majority of the game — in part because big man Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk was in foul trouble.
On Sunday, Bosmans-Verdonk once again rung up two quick fouls, subbing out of the game just three minutes into it. Then his replacement, 7-footer Josh Gray, committed his second and third fouls in a two-second span early in the second half, hamstringing the Gamecocks in the post.
For large stretches of the game, the Gamecocks had guards Johnson, Jacobi Wright and Chico Carter Jr. all on the court at the same time, giving USC more speed and athleticism to match up with a smaller, less physically imposing PC team.
Johnson was especially effective starting at point guard for the Gamecocks, showing improved explosiveness in his second game back from an early season ankle injury and scoring 16 points.
With Bosmans-Verdonk on the bench for much of the second half, Gray carried much of the load and drew praise from both Paris and teammates after the game, but the head coach is still searching for consistency at the center position.
“We’re just trying to get consistency out of those guys and predictability in terms of what we’re going to be able to count on,” Paris said. “Especially on the defensive side of things.”
Next four USC MBB games
Wednesday: at UAB, 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Dec. 17: vs. East Carolina (Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville), 2 p.m.
Dec. 22: vs. Western Kentucky, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Dec. 30: vs. Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published December 11, 2022 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Lamont Paris’ Gamecocks top Presbyterian for second straight win. What we learned."
