Kershaws Corner: Texas AM
South Carolina vs. Texas A&M
* Texas A&M leads the overall series 2-0 and won the meeting earlier this season 75-67 on January 15, 2014 in College Station. A&M won the first ever meeting 74-56 in 2013.
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* This is the first ever meeting between the two teams in Columbia.
Gamecocks at Halftime
* Carolina has trailed at halftime in four of their six SEC games this season. Three of the four were by double digits. Those three games were all on the road. (Florida, Georgia, Missouri) LSU led USC 32-30 at halftime and that game was in Columbia.
* Carolina has led two SEC games at halftime. The Gamecocks led Ole Miss in Columbia at the break and led Texas A&M by one in College Station.
Gamecocks Scoring At Least 74
* USC has scored at least 74 points in their last three games.
* The Gamecocks scored 74 against Ole Miss and Missouri while they scored 76 against Georgia.
Gamecocks Starting 5
* Coach Martin has used the starting lineup of Sindarius Thornwell, Brenton Williams, Duane Notice, Demetrius Henry, and Michael Carrera in the last two games.
* The last time USC played Texas A&M, the starting five was Thornwell, Williams, Notice, Henry, and Kacinas. It was the last game that starting five was used.
* Thornwell is the only Gamecock to start all 19 games this season.
* Williams has started the last 10 games.
* Notice has started the last 12 games.
* Henry has started all but one game this season. (Ole Miss)
* Carrera has started the last two games.
* Coach Martin has started three different lineups in the last four games.
Last Time Out --- Gamecocks at Missouri
* The Gamecocks last game was at Missouri on January 25, 2014 in Columbia. The Tigers defeated Carolina 82-74.
* Michael Carrera had a double double posting 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
* Brenton Williams scored 32 points. Seven of his eight field goals made were three pointers. He was nine of nine from the free throw line. He also had three of the teams five steals.
* Sindarius Thornwell had 14 points and four assists.
Brenton Williams
* Played in all 19 games this season.
* Scored 10+ points in 10 of the last 11 games.
* Since going 0 for 10 against Ole Miss from the field, he is 14 of 27 from the field including 11 of 21 from three point range.
* Scored a season high 32 points against Missouri.
* Seven of his eight field goals made against Mizzou were three pointers.
Michael Carrera
* Started the last two games.
* Posted a season high 16 points and 11 rebounds in the game at Missouri. It was his sixth career double-double. He also played 33 minutes which was a season high.
Laimonas Chatkevicius
* Played in 18 of the 19 games this season.
* Played at least 10 minutes in five of the six SEC games.
* Has 19 rebounds in the last four games. Averaging 3.5 this season.
Mindaugas Kacinas
* Started 16 of the 19 games this season.
* Played at least 10 minutes in 18 of the 19 games this season. (Georgia)
* Averaging 4.7 rebounds this season but has only collected eight in the last four games.
Brian Steele
* Played in eight games this season.
* Made three field goals this season. All three are three pointers.
* Averaging 7.3 minutes per game but played 10 at Missouri and 12 at Georgia.
Demetrius Henry
* Started 18 of the 19 games this season. (Ole Miss)
* Played 30 minutes against Missouri. That is the most action in a game since he played 32 versus SC State.
* Grabbed eight rebounds in the last two games. Averaging 4.2 rebounds a game this season.
Justin McKie
* Played in 10 games this season including three of the last four.
* Hit his first career three pointer against Texas A&M earlier this month.
Duane Notice
* Played in 19 games with 14 starts.
* Started the last 12 games.
* Played at least 20 minutes in 11 of those 12 games.
* Has 12 assists to 10 turnovers in the last four games.
Desmond Ringer
*Played in 19 games with one start.
*Played at least 12 minutes in five of the six SEC games.
Jaylen Shaw
* Played in 18 of the 19 games.
* Played 10+ minutes in the last five games.
* Scored 21 points in the last three games.
* Averaging 3.8 per game this season.
Reggie Theus, Jr.
* Played in eight games.
* Played a season high 13 minutes at Georgia.
Sindarius Thornwell
* Only Gamecock to start all 19 games.
* Scored at least 24 points in three of the last five games.
* The last two home games, scored 25 vs. LSU and 24 vs. Ole Miss.
* Averaging 17.3 points per game in SEC play.
* Averaging 3.9 rebounds per game but has pulled down 19 in the last three games.
Scouting the Aggies
*12-7 overall and 3-3 in SEC play.
*Since defeating the Gamecocks, the Aggies have dropped three in a row.
Texas A&M Head Coach Billy Kennedy
* Alma Mater - Southern Louisiana, 1986
* He is 44-40 overall at A&M and he is 255-219 in 16 seasons as a head coach.
South Carolina vs. A&M Recap from Game Earlier this Month
* In the 2013 meeting between the Aggies and Gamecocks, Carolina shot 47.8% in the first half while the A&M shot 50%. The game earlier this month, both teams shot 50% in the first half.
* Gamecocks scored 20 of their 39 points in the first half in the paint. They only scored eight points in the paint in the second half. USC scored 18 points in the paint in the 2013 game against A&M.
* Carolina led the Aggies 39-38 at halftime. In the 2013 meeting, the two teams were tied at 32 at the break.
* USC outrebounded the Aggies in the 2013 (34-26) and 2014 (33-25) meetings.
* The Gamecocks turned the ball over 17 times in the 2013 game and also in 2014. A&M had eight turnovers in 2013 and 11 in 2014.
* Duane Notice scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half. He also had five assists.
* Tyrone Johnson was injured in the first half.
* Sindarius Thornwell scored five points and had five turnovers. He was two of seven from the field.
* Brenton Williams led the Gamecocks with 14 points but was three of 10 from the field and hit all six of his free throws.
* Chatkevicius scored eight points.
* Desmond Ringer in 13 minutes of action had seven rebounds and posted nine points.
* Gamecocks were in foul trouble. They were called for 31 fouls. Thornwell fouled out while Kacinas, Chatkevicius, and Ringer all ended the game with four fouls.
* Aggies shot 55% for the game including 62.5% in the second half.
* Jamal Jones led the Aggies with 22 points. Shawn Smith had 14 while Davonte Fitzgerald had 13.
* A&M shot 22 of 41 from the free throw line while the Gamecocks shot 16 of 22.
* Carolina had 17 turnovers to the Aggies 11. A&M held the advantage on points off turnovers 18-10.
* Carolina led by as many as 11.