Why Saturday's performance was a special one for Keyshawn Bryant

The freshman was coming off arguably his worst half of his young career in front of more than 40 family members and friends where he scored just two points and turned the ball over seven times.

In the locker room at the break, the freshman was challenged by the coaching staff to play with better energy.

What happened in the second half was a reflection of that as Bryant, who grew up 132 miles away from Gainesville in Winter Haven, Florida provided a spark that ultimately led to the Gamecocks’ 71-69 upset over the Gators.

“Keyshawn’s going to be a real good player. He’s scratching the surface of what he can be right now,” head coach Frank Martin said. “I tell you what I learned from him today: he can take coaching. Because I was on him pretty hard and he never hung his head and was always ready to go. When I called his number, he responded.”

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Bryant finished the game with eight points, including six in the second half that came as part of a game-tying 9-0 run where he scored the final six points.

In the first half and through the first few minutes out of the break, there were visible signs of Bryant’s frustrations.

Defensive changes and turnovers caused him to miss valuable chunks of time on the court and he could be seen shaking his head on his way to the bench trying to avoid Martin’s death stare.

But, he fought back through some tough coaching, which even Martin said isn’t the easiest thing to do, and played a vital role in the Gamecocks’ comeback from 13 points down.

“I’m a hard guy,” Bryant said, smiling. “Anything he throws at me, I can take it.”

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One of the biggest influences in Bryant’s second half surge was Hassani Gravett, who spent time right before the second half started talking with the freshman and making sure he was ready to go.

Bryant said Gravett, who finished with 22 points and one shy of tying his career high, has been a huge help to him not only Saturday but all season as he adjusts to the college game.

“Hassani’s big,” Bryant said. “He’s like another coach to me. He keeps me going, and I consider him more of a big brother. If I’m down, he’s going to pick me up.”

Bryant’s performance came with a horde of family and friends in the stands from his nearby hometown of Winter Haven.

But the family, who stayed around postgame for pictures and to catch up, was one member short. One of Bryant’s close relatives died earlier this season, and Bryant had to miss some time during non-conference play to go home for a bit.

“It means a lot to me,” Bryant said about his family being there. “I wish she could be here but I know she’s by my side through the whole situation.”

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The Gamecocks upset Florida 71-69 thanks to a last-second dunk from Chris Silva, a bucket that gave South Carolina its first SEC road win in almost a year.

It’s the first back-to-back win streak this season for the Gamecocks, who beat North Greenville Monday to stop a four-game losing streak and the first time since February the team’s won consecutive games.

The Gamecocks had to do it the hard way, crawling out of a hole they dug, but they were finally able to get over that hill.

“The last couple minutes on the clock, you can’t lay down,” Bryant said. “That’s when you have to fight. The last couple minutes are about who wants it more.”