SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL

When South Carolina made its run, cutting a previously double-digit deficit to just two, one player was noticeably off the court.

Then, as Stetson ballooned its lead back up and ultimately secured a 63-56 win over South Carolina, the same player spent the majority of that time on the bench.

South Carolina’s potential NBA draft pick AJ Lawson spent all but 40 seconds of the final 7:15 of game time watching instead of playing Monday as part of a season-low 13 minutes.

“Ask him. Why are you asking me? You see him play the first six minutes? Would you have kept playing him?” Frank Martin said. “If you watched the game and how the game was going, would you have played him? You would have? Good. You make your decisions and I’ll make mine.”

Also see: Instant analysis from Monday's loss

Lawson played just six minutes in the second half, scoring six of his eight points over that six-minute stretch. No other player had more than five points in the second half of Monday’s loss.

He’d play just seven minutes in the first half and finished the game scoring eight points on 3-for-7 shooting, including going 2-for-6 from three. He was the only South Carolina player to make multiple three-pointers in the game.

Lawson also finished with a team-high four turnovers.

He'd get subbed on with 40 seconds left in the game and went 1-for-2 down the stretch, both three-pointers.

Without him on the floor, the Gamecocks cycled in guys like Trae Hannibal, TJ Moss, Jair Bolden and Jermaine Couisnard.

The lanky sophomore who’s started every game this season finished with a plus-minus of minus-2, the fourth highest on the team outside of Hannibal and Wildens Leveque, who both finished at plus-4.

Martin mentioned before the game some players were dealing with illnesses, and said Monday Lawson had been battling some sort of sickness heading into the game, although he did participate in practice Sunday.

“He was one of the guys that got off the plane with a little fever that first day and his throat was all red and swollen,” Martin said. “He practiced yesterday. It’s not like he didn’t practice. I got no idea. You have to ask them.”

Also see: What Frank Martin said after the loss

Along with Lawson, the Gamecock offense struggled to do anything against Stetson, tying their season low with just 56 points scored and averaging just .836 points per possession compared to the Hatters’ .955.

The Gamecocks (8-5) shot just 37 percent from the field, connecting on just 4-of-12 three pointers and missing half of their 24 free throw attempts.

They'd have chances, cutting the lead to just two points before Stetson went on a 12-7 run the final 5:25 of game time.

Their 83.3 offensive efficiency is also the second-lowest of the season.

“AJ’s a great player. He didn’t play his best today but it’s on all of us. It’s not all on AJ,” Justin Minaya said. “It’s on all of us. It’s on me; it’s on Maik. We all have to bring it. If someone is not bringing it, we have to let them know. I don’t think we did that as a team today.”

The loss is a big dent in a potential tournament resume with Stetson ranked No. 326 in the NET rankings coming into Monday’s game.

It’s the first time under Frank Martin they’ve lost at home to a team ranked No. 300 or worse in KenPom’s ratings.