South Carolina defeats Arkansas on the road
After losing at home to Georgia, South Carolina found its rhythm and defeated Arkansas on the road 77-64. The Gamecocks took advantage of a struggling Arkansas team in SEC play and brought a strong game plan.
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How it happened
Early on, South Carolina (15-3, 3-2 SEC) got into a groove and successfully blocked Arkansas’ shots, sending them to 11-for-31 in field goals in the first half.
Before the half, South Carolina made shots going 12-for-28 in field goals with 23 rebounds. Arkansas trailed in many categories and with only 12 rebounds they couldn’t find the net like South Carolina could.
South Carolina was aggressive out of the gate. Meechie Johnson, a veteran in the locker room, scored five points and four rebounds in the first half and was successful in his pass game.
Collin Murray-Boyles continued in the starting five for the Gamecocks and scored seven points in the first half, going 3-for-8 in field goals.
Arkansas was able to capitalize off of South Carolina’s nine turnovers but were not able to sink shots like the Gamecocks were able to. Arkansas went 5-for-12 in three-point shots in the first half.
Going into the half, South Carolina led 39-27 and carried the momentum into the second half, helping them secure the victory. The Gamecocks scored 14 points inside the paint against the Razorback defense.
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Jacobi Wright scored five points against Arkansas but struggled with three-point shots going 1-for-5. The Razorback offense could not find a way to break down South Carolina’s shooting and defense.
The Gamecocks were able to feed off of each other’s energy. Ta’Lon Cooper sunk shots, despite only scoring two points in the first half he went 4-for-5 in field goals and scored 11 points in the second half.
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Zachary Davis also shined for the Gamecocks scoring 12 points, going 5-for-8 in field goals and 2-2 in free throws. Josh Gray also saw some court time shooting 6 points but helped stop Arkansas’ offense.
Two observations
BJ Mack continues to stay hot on the road—After dropping 21 against Mizzou, Mack scored 18 points against Arkansas helping his team to victory.
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South Carolina played smart and patient—The Gamecocks played patient and didn’t rush sloppy shots, because of this they shot 52 percent from the field.
Key stat
BJ Mack dropped 18 points and 9 rebounds—His success helped build energy and momentum across the Gamecock bench leading to victory.
Turning point
South Carolina started strong in the first half but they were able to secure the victory because they continued their success into the second half. The Gamecocks went 4-for-6 in three-point shots with 16 rebounds.
Up next
The Gamecocks are set to host the Kentucky Wildcats on Jan. 23 at 7PM. The game will be available to watch on the SEC network.
