The Gamecocks are off to a 7-0 start to the 2023-24 season, the best start since the 2016-17 Final Four team's 8-0 stretch to open the season, a feat this version can match against Clemson next week. South Carolina earned their 7th win tonight against a George Washington team that beat them 79-55 just a season ago. How have they done it? It's really a number of factors, but perhaps number 1 on the list is the shooting efficiency, which was on display again tonight with the Gamecocks shooting 50% from the floor, including an insane 52% in the first half.
Carolina also knocked down 18 total three-pointers, smashing a new school record for most threes in a game (16 previously). The scoring was pretty evenly distributed, but special recognition belongs to BJ Mack (20 points)who has traded stand-out nights with Meechie Johnson throughout the season. Tonight though, both stars stepped up and had this Gamecock offense firing on all cylinders. Johnson finished with a game-high in points (24) and rebounds (8). If the two can continue to trade off hot shooting nights, this team should be in line to win a lot of basketball games this season, if the two can go off at the same time, they can be anyone. Perhaps the most encouraging thing is the consistent presence of the supporting cast: tonight you also added 14 points and 8 assists from Ta'lon Cooper and 11 points from Myles Stute.
Despite the strong offensive performance, the game still felt like it was closer than it should've been until a 13-2 run over the course of nearly 5 minutes of game time in the second half finally pulled the Gamecocks into a double-digit lead for good. Credit is due to the Gamecocks knocking down shots, but also their defensive effort, which led to 10 GW turnovers. Defensively they also matched GW in rebounds (36 for GW and 32 for SC), limiting second-chance opportunities for the less efficient Revolutionaries.
It was an overall clean game from both teams, combining for only 18 total fouls, and both squads found some success in the paint with 26 points for GW and 24 for SC, but the difference in this one is what will keep South Carolina in nearly any game when they are knocking them down: three pointers. SC shot an astounding 51% from three, making 18-35 from behind the arc, and really gave GW no chance to keep pace.
Next up, the Gamecocks will take on their in-state rivals, the Clemson Tigers who could also be entering this game undefeated if they beat Pitt on Sunday. The two upstart teams will square off on Wed. Dec. 6th at 8 pm in Littlejohn Arena in Clemson.
