Gamecocks start slow but finish with big win

By Seth Emerson - The (Columbia) State

COLUMBIA -- The first half was a bruising struggle, and the South Carolina men's basketball team was playing far from its best ball. The Gamecocks trailed most of the half and fell behind by as many as seven.

And they still won going away, rolling to a 90-66 victory against Georgia Southern on Monday.

It was a good sign for a team that has high expectations from outsiders and for itself this season.

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“If you're gonna be a good team you have to respond to that,” coach Darrin Horn said. “Some nights you're not gonna be your best, and you have to find a way. I thought our response was good.

“And I think the good news it wasn't just because we made a bunch of shots, and Devan Downey or Dominique Archie or somebody goes for 30. It was a collective effort.”

Archie had a double-double, notching game highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Horn said the senior forward “carried” the Gamecocks.

And during a 21-0 run, including 16-0 to start the second half, Downey, a former Chester star, only had two points. The senior guard finished with 14 points.

Georgia Southern (1-1), with some burly forwards, was able to hold its own in the paint. It also outhustled the Gamecocks for a few offensive rebounds.

The most telling stat was this: The Eagles finished with almost as many fouls (33) as rebounds (35).

They used an early 9-3 advantage on the boards to take an 18-11 lead. At that point, Horn went with a smaller lineup, and soon the Gamecocks had a 30-24 lead.

When the Eagles drew within 35-34, Ramon Galloway nailed a 3-pointer.

A minute later, Brandis Raley-Ross nailed a 22-footer to make it 43-36, the score at the half.

The second half started with a couple of turnaround shots by Mike Holmes and an Archie 3-pointer, and the dams erupted. Georgia Southern committed four turnovers and missed seven shots before finally scoring, and by then, it was too late to make it a game again.

“Maybe it's a Monday game, I don't know. But a slow start, it happens,” Raley-Ross said. “We were able to pick it up in the second half and play our brand of basketball.”

Georgia Southern drew back within 11, but Archie and Raley-Ross hit consecutive 3s.

It was never that close again.

USC won on the same night No. 4 Kentucky needed a last-second shot to beat Miami (Ohio), and three nights after Mississippi State and Alabama lost at home. But Horn laughed at a question about being happy to get wins any way at this juncture.

“I didn't know there was a time of the year for that. I thought you took wins any time you could get them all year. At least I will,” Horn said. “But yeah, I think it shows a lot.”

SOUTH CAROLINA 90 GEORGIA SOUTHERN 66

GEORGIA SOUTHERN (1-1)

Baskerville 3-10 2-2 9, Spencer 1-7 4-6 6, Troupe 0-1 0-2 0, Hanson 4-14 0-0 12, Powers 4-8 4-5 14, Brannen 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 2-7 0-0 4, Drayton III 6-14 2-2 15, Rucker 2-8 0-0 4, Janiszewski 1-1 0-0 2, Wohlleb 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-71 12-17 66.

SOUTH CAROLINA (2-0)

Archie 5-7 5-7 18, Jackson 3-4 3-4 9, Downey 4-10 5-8 14, Holmes 5-6 2-8 12, Muldrow 1-2 4-4 6, Galloway 3-9 3-4 10, Raley-Ross 4-7 3-3 13, Steed 1-2 2-2 4, Spinella 0-1 0-0 0, Baniulis 1-3 0-0 3, Jefferson 0-0 1-4 1, Wilder 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-52 28-44 90.

Halftime–South Carolina 43-36. 3-Point Goals–Georgia Southern 8-29 (Hanson 4-13, Powers 2-4, Baskerville 1-1, Drayton III 1-8, Brannen 0-1, Rucker 0-2), South Carolina 8-20 (Archie 3-3, Raley-Ross 2-4, Baniulis 1-3, Galloway 1-4, Downey 1-4, Spinella 0-1, Wilder 0-1). Fouled Out–Johnson, Powers. Rebounds–Georgia Southern 35 (Baskerville 10), South Carolina 45 (Archie 10). Assists–Georgia Southern 14 (Drayton III, Powers 4), South Carolina 18 (Downey 6). Total Fouls–Georgia Southern 33, South Carolina 15. Att.–NA.