South Carolina basketball: poor shooting dooms Gamecocks in first loss
By Jacob Elsey
The South Carolina basketball team suffered its first loss of the season last night in the opening round of the Asheville Championship Tournament. After entering their matchup with Princeton as a 6.5 point favorite, the Gamecocks fell flat and dropped to 1-1 on the year.
Poor jump shooting doomed the team in the early season defeat as the Gamecocks shot just 36% from the field, including a 4-for-26 mark from beyond the arc. At one point in the contest, South Carolina had missed 18 consecutive three pointers before Jermaine Cousinard made three in the final minute of action.
Transfer Erik Stevenson was particularly inaccurate missing all 10 of his attempts from three-point land. He heaved up prayers when the Gamecocks were early in the shot clock on too many occasions rather than working the offense and attacking the basket. Stevenson shot 50% on two-pointers and made all six of his free throws to finish with 14 points. Getting to the rim rather than settling probably would’ve done him, and the team as a whole, better.
Princeton, on the other hand, got hot in the second half from beyond the arc, shooting 42% from three in the final period. The Tigers made 11 threes in the contest, which ended up being the difference in the matchup.
South Carolina basketball can’t rely on jump shooting
South Carolina had a significant size difference down low with Josh Gray and Wildens Leveque. Leveque exploited that advantage to the tune of 14 points and 10 boards to post his first double-double on the year. Gray struggled with fouls but did nab seven rebounds in just 13 minutes of action.
This is where South Carolina should’ve continued to hit the Tigers, as opposed to heaving up jump shots. It was obvious that three-point shooting wasn’t a strength following the season opener but the Gamecocks continue to rely on it.
South Carolina was just 1-for-20 from three before the final minute of the game and they failed to run their offense efficiently for most of the contest. After jumping out to a 19-9 lead early, the Gamecocks were outscored by 14 the rest of the way, being held to just 43 points in the final 31 minutes of action.
South Carolina was most successful when getting the ball into the paint. The team shot 49% on its two-point attempts and would’ve benefitted from forcing the ball inside and getting a few more opportunities close to the basket. It also could’ve helped the Gamecocks get to the free throw line a bit more. As it stands, South Carolina outscored Princeton 28-14 in the paint. If the Gamecocks got a few more touches down low, they likely walk out of the arena with a win.
Defense is the strength of the South Carolina basketball team
Defensively, the team continues to play great. While Princeton was able to get hot from three at times, South Carolina also forced the Tigers into 18 turnovers. Stevenson nabbed six steals and Couisnard added three more as the Gamecocks tallied 12 as a team. They scored 22 points off of turnovers and it’s clear that this will be the strength of the squad moving forward.
While it is a disappointing defeat, it’s one that the Gamecocks can build around moving forward. If South Carolina can learn to attack the rim on a more consistent basis and continue to play aggressive defense, they should improve.
The team will face off against Western Kentucky on Sunday with a chance to move to 2-1 on the season.