South Carolina Basketball: 10 best Gamecock moments leading up to the 2017 Final Four
By Kevin Miller
No. 4: In the Program’s First NCAA Tournament Victory since 1973, the Gamecocks Beat Marquette
A 44-year drought ended when the South Carolina Gamecocks finally broke through and won an NCAA Tournament game. Marquette led most of the first half, but the Gamecocks started surging around the mid-point of the second period. A tight game got out of hand fast as the normally defense-first Carolina squad saw their offense hit a new gear.
Powered by 40 combined points on 19-33 shooting from Sindarius Thornwell and PJ Dozier, the Gamecocks would not be denied. Their 93 points scored was an NCAA Tournament record for the school, as was the 20-point margin of victory. The gym exploded with just over 3:30 to play as the Gamecock fans in the building recognized the reality of what was happening before them. Sindarius Thornwell drove the lane for a tough and-one to put their team up 17 and secure their first victory of the Tournament.