The South Carolina basketball squad (5-6) will battle with the Wofford Terriers (7-5) in the Colonial Life Arena at 7 p.m. in what will be a crucial test for both teams as both are in need of win out-of-conference.
USC is 4-3 at home this year but they face a Wofford team that has a 2-3 road record so the home court advanatage is not as strong for USC in this game. For the series, USC has won 24 of the last 25 meetings between the two schools. So USC, based on history, should win this game.
Here is a quick preview:
Don’t let Wofford’s RPI ranking at 198 fool you (USC’s RPI is 173) as they can score in bunches and play solid defense. USC can not overlook the Terriers and will have to execute these three keys:
1. Create TOs via Pressure – South Carolina tallied a season high 30 points off of turnovers vs. SE Louisiana. This must be done once again because doing this is when the Horn scheme is at its’ best.
2. Rebound – South Carolina ranks first in the SEC in rebounding defense, as Carolina opponents collect just 31.5 rebounds per game. The Gamecocks have out-rebounded seven of 11 opponents this season. USC must beat the Terriers on the boards to get the win.
3. USC must get inside scoring – For USC to have success, they must get the easy shot to fall and this has to be done by penetration. In this game, Bruce Ellington and Eric Smith must penetrate and dish for the easy buckets.
USC’s Player to Watch
Anthony Gill. The freshman forward in the last four games has tallied double-digit points in each contest, averaging 11.3 points per outing. His 5.8 rebounds per game during the stretch are also a team lead. He must put up those kind of numbers or more in this game and stay out of foul troblue.
Wofford’s Player to Watch
Kevin Giltner. In his last game, the senior guard dropped 28 points in a losing effort vs. High Point. He leads the team with 16.9 points per game and he is averaging 20.4 points per game over the course of the last five games. USC has to limit him in this game and keep a hand in his face as he can hurt you.
Key stat
Look for this game to be low-scoring as the Terriers lead the SoCon in scoring defense, as opponents are averaging just 63.3 points per game.
Prediction
USC will win this game by 10. Big key is to win the rebounding battle. We can remember our church basketball days and learning on the basketball goal systems how to block out. We want to see USC boxing out and winning the rebounding battle as this team is not blessed with height so out-working the opponent via boxing out is one way to put in the necessary work to get the win against Wofford.
