South Carolina Basketball – Best Moments of the 2019-20 Season
By Jacob Elsey
COUISNARD SILENCES KENTUCKY
In maybe the most exciting game of the South Carolina basketball season, the SEC was introduced to Gamecock point guard Jermaine Couisnard. The freshman had slowly earned the trust of head coach Frank Martin in the out-of-conference slate, and was rewarded with his first start of the year when the Gamecocks met the Kentucky Wildcats in Columbia.
The Wildcats were in control the entire first half, holding South Carolina to just 25 points on 9-37 shooting. The tide shifted after halftime, though, as the Gamecocks erupted for 56 second half points and overcame a 14-point deficit over the final 15 minutes of play.
Couisnard was dominant, scoring 17 of his game-high 26 points after halftime. South Carolina would take their first lead with just under four minutes to go in the action following a Justin Minaya three-pointer. That lead would extend to six with just under a minute to play.
Kentucky wouldn’t go away, though, and the Gamecocks did themselves no favors at the line by missing four of their final five free throw attempts. After a Wildcat timeout, guard Immanuel Quickley would receive an inbound, drive to the basket and hit a fade away jumper to tie the game at 78 with five seconds remaining.
That’s when Couisnard’s heroics took over. Dribbling the distance of the floor, he threw up a Hail Mary just outside the three-point arc. The prayer was answered and the Gamecocks left Colonial Life Arena with an 81-78 upset over the 10th ranked Wildcats, earning the top moment of the 2019-20 basketball season.