The South Carolina Gamecocks lost to the Tennessee Volunteers by the score of 73-69. It was senior night for Gamecock seniors Johndre Jefferson and Sam Muldrow, the team could not send them off in the right way as the Vols proved too much.
Actually, again, the first half play was so bad for USC that the improved second half play from the ‘Cocks could not overcome the hole dug. UT led 40-23 at the break; compared to 46-33 USC run in the second half. The Gamecocks had no answer for UT’s Tobias Harris, who had a career-high 25 points, and Scotty Hopson, who had scored 24, as Tennessee fought off the late SC ralley.
With the UT win, Tennessee has now won nine-straight games against South Carolina and four straight in Columbia. The last South Carolina win in the series came in an 81-64 victory on Feb. 17, 2007. The win marked South Carolina’s 100th since joining the SEC.
The loss drops USC to 14-14 overall and 5-10 in SEC play.
This game was not all bad for USC as there were some bright spots, like the play of Muldrow – 24 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast, 5 Blk. Also the Gamecocks outrebounded UT by 11 and USC had 18 offensive rebounds. USC also had 7 blocks and 8 steals as a team. As you can see, the Gamecocks played slightly better than in recent games but poor shooting was again the culprit. USC shot 39% from the field (26-66) and 5-18 from 3 ball land. I wish USC would cut down on the number of three balls they launch. Maybe next time?
This Gamecocks blog wishes Jefferson and Muldrow much success in the future. They will always be Gamecocks.
Up Next: South Carolina travels to Mississippi State on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both schools. The contest will be televised on ESPN2 and will tip-off at 2 p.m. Follow LOHD on Twitter and Facebook for the latest ‘slanted’ news on USC.
