MBB: Gamecocks handle Hoyas

Unlike the Coastal Carolina game, the Gamecocks started this game strong. Shots weren’t falling (the Gamecocks missed 11 of 12 shots at one points), the effort was and the Gamecocks were able to build a double digit lead by staying focused on defense (the Hoyas missed 10 of 11 during the same stretch and started the game just 3-25.

Georgetown used a 12-2 run late in the half to pull within two points, but South Carolina recruited to getting the ball inside and finished the haf on a 9-2 run to take a 36-27 lead.

The Gamecocks continued to get the ball inside in the second half. They shot 55% from the floor in the second half and led by as much as 16.

Frank Martin has been upset with the production of his bigs for most of the season, but he finally got what he wanted to see. Wildens Leveque tied his career-high with 14, AJ Wilson and Josh Gray scored nine each, and even Tre-Vaughn Minott had four points in five minutes. All were able to get to the rim and finish strong.

“We put an unbelievable emphasis on playing strong in the paint,” Martin said. “Those guys responded. I thought our bigs played with tremendous physicality today. They were active.”

Wilson said the post players held a meeting among themselves to talk about their struggles.

“These past couple days in practice and between practice all the bigs have been talking to each other, we’ve got to take it personal,” Wilson said. “We’re not getting rebounds and we’re not having a presence down there.”

James Reese and Keyshawn Bryant each scored 11 points for South Carolina and Bryant had a team-high eight rebounds. Georgetown outrebounded South Carolina by four, but couldn’t do enough to capitalize. South Carolina was plus-ten in second chance points and had a 42-30 advantage in points in the paint and South Carolina was 9-10 on dunks.

“I thought they out-physicaled us. Even though we had 21 offensive rebounds we weren’t able to capitalize on them the way they were,” Ewing said. “It seemed like they got about 20 dunks.”

Notes:

Hall of Famers Dikembe Mutombo and Tracy McGrady attended the game. Mutombo’s son Ryan plays for Georgetown. Mutombo and McGrady were teammates in Houston when Ewing was an assistant coach, and McGrady and Ewing played together for a year in Orlando. … Donald Carey had 20 points for Georgetown. … It was a homecoming for Columbia natives Malcolm Wilson and Kaiden Rice. Wilson had four points and five rebounds. Rice had a terrible shooting night, going scoreless on 0-10 shooting and 0-8 from three. … Announced attendance was 9,207. … South Carolina is off for a week for exams before playing Florida State next Sunday in Rock Hill.

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