South Carolina basketball: Gamecocks take down Tulsa
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina basketball got its first win of the year.
Frank Martin and the South Carolina basketball team bounced back from a season opening loss to Liberty to take down the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the second round of the Hall of Fame Classic. The Gamecocks ended the game on a 20-7 run to secure the 69-58 victory.
The Gamecocks struggled shooting the ball in their first matchup, posting a mark of just 39% as a team, including a 17% from beyond the arc. South Carolina regrouped on Sunday, though, with Jermaine Couisnard and AJ Lawson leading the way. The two guards combined for 37 points on 12 of 23 shooting, connecting on eight of the team’s nine three pointers. Justin Minaya also notched double figures, scoring 11 points and just missing out on a double-double with nine rebounds.
The shooting improved, as did the perimeter defense. After allowing Liberty to hit 11 of their 27 three point shots, the Gamecocks held Tulsa to just four made threes on 17 attempts. The Golden Hurricane shot just 40% from the field as South Carolina kept their opponent from topping 60 points.
The Gamecocks’ next matchup will come on Saturday, as they square off against a second straight American Athletic Conference member in Houston. The Cougars are currently 2-0 on the year, securing a ranking of 17th in the latest AP Poll. The Gamecocks and Cougars met last year in Colonial Life Arena, with Houston winning the contest by a score of 76 to 56. Tip is set for 8:00 PM with the matchup being televised on the ESPN family of networks.