SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL

John Calipari and Frank Martin aren’t strangers. Calipari knows what Martin does well, and vice versa. So when one team wins over another it isn’t because of insanely unique schemes or crazy new plays.

The Gamecocks pulled off one of those marquee victories over Kentucky Wednesday, downing the Wildcats 81-78 on a Jermaine Couisnard buzzer beater in a game Calipari said South Carolina wholeheartedly earned.

“They deserved to win the game,” Calipari said. “It would have been a shame if we had thrown one in and won the game. I would have been happy, but it would have been a shame. Frank did a great job in this game.”

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The Gamecocks (9-7, 1-2 SEC) did it with good shooting, something they hadn’t done in a very long time.

After shooting just 24.3 percent in the first half, South Carolina shot 55.6 after halftime, including hitting five of their nine three pointers.

It was the first time making at least seven three-pointers in a game since hitting 8-for-18 against Clemson.

“What they did to us, they did to Clemson down there. They made five threes in a row. Everybody tells me they can’t shoot threes,” Calipari said. “Well that day they did. I watched it. The second half they had guys you want shooting the threes, and they made it. That’s what they did down in Clemson. Listen, this team beat Virginia and they beat Clemson. I think they beat Clemson at Clemson and Clemson had a good win last night. This team is capable.”

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The Gamecocks got a big boost from Jermaine Couisnard making his first career start. The redshirt freshman put up 26 points on 9-for-22, including hitting 4-of-5 threes, none bigger than the game-winner.

For Couisnard, it was a career high in points and he finished with his highest offensive rating since Dec. 4 against UMass.

“He played good. What hurt us was the pick and roll. We had Tyrese (Maxey) and he was hurt. I’m not sure exactly what was hurt on him but he couldn’t move. He was hitting into that screen and our big man wasn’t switching,” Calipari said. “He just gives him a shot: layup, layup, layup, layup. He shot four layups. Then we tried to switch it and Nick let him get beside him and he shoots a layup. He went 9-for-22 but he should have shot them. They were all light I’m looking at it. He made some three points but most were layups. He did a heck of a job. It was a good game for him.”

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The Gamecocks got a much-needed win in the grand scheme of its season, notching their first conference win in front of a crowd of 18,000; the first sellout of the season.

It wasn’t a fluke, Calipari said, and all of the credit for getting Kentucky off its game goes to Frank Martin and his team.

“This was a hard game. Give them credit. This was not on us. They were physical; they made every free throw when they had to. I like we got it to a tie ball game,” Calipari said. “But when you play like we did and give them so many opportunities, that’s when a team throws in a 30-footer that banks in.”