Collin Murray-Boyles shows off athleticism in game-saving play for South Carolina
The play was there for Ole Miss. Meechie Johnson broke off to guard a man at the top of the key, leaving big man Jamarion Sharp wide open down low.
Josh Gray, standing in the middle between the three-point line and free throw area, wasn’t quick enough to catch Sharp. It looked like it was going to be an easy make for the Rebels center. Until it wasn’t.
As if he were doing his best impersonation of Superman, Collin Murray-Boyles came flying in underneath the basket with his left hand high in the air. Sharp tried to go up for the layup, but Murray-Boyles was all over it, blocking the shot.
“We know Collin can jump, Collin loves to jump — that’s what he does when we have intermissions. He always wants to dunk or something, I don’t know,” Ta’Lon Cooper said. “But he’s young, got good knees. He’s just a young kid that just likes to jump. But when he did that, I was like just, ‘Wow, that’s a great block.'”
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Murray-Boyles quickly grabbed the now-loose ball and took away what could’ve been a huge play for Ole Miss. Even in the moments after the play broke down, the home crowd was still going nuts, unable to comprehend what they just saw.
“It’s amazing, it gives me a lot of confidence, especially going throughout the whole game. It gives me a lot of energy,” Murray-Boyles said. “Once the first one’s out of there, I can play the rest of the game with a whole bunch of energy, which helps my teammates have energy and play as hard as they can.”
The heroic play couldn’t have come at a better time either. South Carolina was in a heated battle with the Rebels, clinging to a five-point lead with under 90 seconds to play. But it would be one of the many catalysts in a 68-65 win for the Gamecocks on Tuesday.
Despite coming out on the wrong end of the game, it was hard for Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard to not recognize the play Murray-Boyles made and just how good he’s been for the Gamecocks.
“Talented player,” Beard said. “I think he knows who he is. He doesn’t try to do things outside of his game, has a lot of poise for a young player. That’s very unique.”
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Even for Murray-Boyles, he’s seen the strides in his game since returning from mono all those months ago. He’s now blossomed into a huge starter for this team as they continue to play their best basketball.
“Huge growth in my confidence. I’ve been working every day, extra work with coach (Tanner) Bronson, coach (Tim) Buckley. We’ve just been in the gym, lifting with Scott (Greenawalt), and then just practicing with the guys,” Murray-Boyles said. “Again, building that chemistry back up and then obviously playing in the games leading up to this moment is just building me to be a better player.”
