South Carolina basketball: Gamecocks overmatched by No. 19 Missouri
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina basketball dropped a 2nd straight SEC matchup.
The South Carolina basketball team dropped a second consecutive conference matchup last night, falling 81-70 to nineteenth ranked Missouri. The Tigers jumped out to an early 13-2 lead, and never trailed in the game.
Fatigue was obvious from a South Carolina group that’s not been able to field a full roster in nearly two months. After losing a late lead to LSU due to cramping and tired legs, that overworked Gamecocks didn’t score for the first four minutes of Tuesday’s contest.
This matchup fell right into the hands of the Tigers, who consistently fed big man Jeremiah Tilmon with the Gamecocks missing their top post players Jalyn McCreary and Alanzo Frink. Tilmon shot 8-of-11 from the field, scoring a team-high 19 points and pulling down 10 boards to complete the double-double.
TIlmon improved upon his SEC-best 74% shooting percentage, while Dru and Mark Smith notched 16 and 18 points, respectively. The Smiths combined to connect on 5-of-10 three-point attempts, and helped keep the Tigers on top for all 40 minutes.
The Gamecocks got double digits from Keyshawn Bryant, Trey Anderson, and Justin Minaya. Bryant has notched at least 19 points in both of his appearances since returning to the team. He’d missed over a month in COVID protocol. The junior sank 8-of-12 shots, and pulled down five rebounds.
Anderson played the best game of his career, shooting 78% from the field, including a 66% clip from beyond the arc, on his way to a career-best 17 points. Minaya tallied his third double-double in four games.
Unfortunately, Gamecocks’ center Wildens Leveque got into early foul trouble, leaving Minaya and Anderson responsible for manning Missouri’s Tilmon down low. TIlmon had a strong advantage, standing 6-foot-10 and towering over the two 6-foot-6 forwards.
South Carolina had one of its worst shooting performances of the year, a testament to the Tigers’ strong defense, but the fatigue of the Gamecocks can’t be ignored. South Carolina starters shot just 24% from the field (10-for-41), and accounted for just 25 points.
AJ Lawson scored five points after playing all 40 minutes in the game against LSU. Minaya was the only starter in double figures.
As a team, the Gamecocks shot 39%, and just 28% from three-point land. Anderson and Bryant accounted for 15 of the team’s 27 made baskets.
Hopefully, South Carolina can get some rest before a Saturday meeting with Auburn. Tip is set for 12 PM ET, with the game being aired on ESPN2.