South Carolina basketball’s inclusion in the Arizona Tipoff came with a later-than-usual start time on Friday night/Saturday morning. After playing earlier in the week at home at Colonial Life Arena against VMI, the Gamecocks had to travel to Phoenix to play the DePaul Blue Demons on Friday, and the game did not tip until right after midnight eastern time.
For the South Carolina basketball fans who stayed up late to watch their favorite team take on DePaul (and a familiar face on the other side), the contest was a frustrating one. The Gamecocks were dominating early, but fouls and turnovers allowed DePaul back into the game, making it much closer than it should have been.
Prior to the matchup with USC, DePaul had struggled this season. At 1-2 with losses to Indiana-Fort Wayne and Long Beach State. Former Gamecock Chico Carter has been their best player, but he has not seen the same type of success as a jump shooter that he had while wearing garnet and black.
The trends reversed a bit on Friday night/Saturday morning, but Lamont Paris’ Gamecock team held on for the victory to advance to the finals of the Arizona Tipoff. They will play against the Grand Canyon ‘Lopes on Sunday.