South Carolina basketball: season ends with loss to Ole Miss
By Jacob Elsey
The South Carolina basketball season ended Thursday in the 2nd round of the SEC Tournament.
The 2020-21 season officially came to a close on Thursday night for the Gamecocks, with the South Carolina basketball team dropping a second round game to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. The 76-59 loss was reminiscent of how the team has played over the last few weeks, with the offense struggling to score, and the play on defense lacking physicality.
The Gamecocks shot just 35.6% from the field, including a 2-for-11 performance from three-point land. Big men Wildens Leveque and Jalyn McCreary scoring 14 and 15 points, respectively, but the South Carolina guards failed to convert jump shots. Ole Miss outscored the Gamecocks 26-11 over the final 10 minutes of the first half to build a 41-26 halftime lead.
Frank Martin’s group never recovered, playing catchup in the second period, and failing to cut the Rebels’ lead to less than nine.
Here’s what the head coach had to say about the loss.
"“We got bit by the same bug that has bit us all year. We weren’t physical enough and offensively you need to get scoring. We got scoring from our bigs and couldn’t get anything from our guards. If you can’t make jumpshots, can’t get to the line and can’t make layups it’s going to be hard to beat a team like Ole Miss that has some really aggressive scoring guards.”"
The Gamecocks came into the game shorthanded, with three starters missing from the lineup. Keyshawn Bryant, Jermaine Couisnard, and Seventh Woods didn’t dress, and it impacted the game tremendously.
Bryant had been the team’s leading scorer in SEC play, having notched double figures in 13 of 15 conference matchups. The absence of Couisnard and Woods forced TJ Moss and Trae Hannibal into extended minutes. The two combined for 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, with each seeing the floor for at least 28 minutes.
AJ Lawson also struggled to score, making just three of his 12 attempts, and going 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The loss was the team’s ninth in 10 games, with seven of those decisions coming by double digits. It’s left Frank Martin’s future in Columbia a bit murky. Many supporters are calling for the two parties to part ways, but there’s certainly the possibility of a return following what’s been maybe the most taxing season in the history of the program.
"“This year has been ridiculously taxing on our players mentally and physically. (They) were locked up seven weeks in an apartment. I don’t know why that is so difficult to comprehend… If you want to say I coached bad, be my guest, but to say this season was disappointing after what our players have been through this year, that’s sad.”"
Martin and the Gamecocks will soon know where they stand in regards to next season, but many around the program are glad to finally put this year behind them.