South Carolina suffers tough overtime loss versus Vanderbilt

South Carolina fought until the end but it wasn’t meant to be.

The Gamecocks fell versus Vanderbilt in an overtime thriller, losing 84-79 in their SEC opener Tuesday night.

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How it happened

The Gamecocks (7-6) started strong, knocking down six of their first seven shots. Chico Carter Jr. sank three quick shots, two of which came from beyond the arc.

South Carolina owned the lead for the opening 10 minutes while Vanderbilt struggled to get much going. But an 8-0 run allowed the Commodores to tie it up less than three minutes later.

It was a back-and-forth affair as the first half winded down. The Gamecocks were missing shots and picking up fouls while Vanderbilt was finding occasional baskets. Neither side could go on a big run and take control.

Both teams started to trade shots in the final two minutes before the break. There were eight lead changes. After checking in for the first time, Zachary Davis quickly made an impact, sinking a three-point shot to tie the game. This was one of six three-pointers made in the half.

But Vanderbilt answered right back to take a two-point lead at halftime.

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The Commodores jumped out to an early lead in the second half before the Gamecocks fought back to tie the game. During that stretch, Vanderbilt only made one of its last eight shots.

Meanwhile, South Carolina went on an all-important 10-0 run to take a five-point lead.

Vanderbilt kept inching closer to regaining the lead, trailing by one with under five minutes to go. It had a golden opportunity to go in front when Tyrin Lawrence went to the free-throw line. But he missed both shots to continue trailing.

However, South Carolina went cold, not making a field goal for over six minutes. This gave the Commodores multiple chances to creep back into it, and they eventually did take the lead.

The Gamecocks trailed by two with one more chance to tie or win the game. Meechie Johnson heaved up a deep three-point shot but missed. Carter rebounded and tried a quick shot but was blocked. Johnson recovered the loose ball then found Hayden Brown under the basket with a brilliant pass allowing Brown to lay it in and tie the game.

In overtime, South Carolina got into trouble as Brown and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk fouled out within the first minute.

As the extra period went on, Vanderbilt continued to find itself at the free throw line. It went to the line 35 times and made 63 percent of its shots.

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The Gamecocks would run out of miracles in the end, losing by five.

Carter finished with 24 points on 14 shots. He went 4-for-6 on three-point tries. Three other Gamecocks scored in double figures: Johnson, Brown and GG Jackson, who had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Two observations

Winning the turnover battle—Coming into the night, South Carolina was averaging 12.7 turnovers per game. This has been an issue throughout the season. However, the Gamecocks were able to limit their mistakes for most of the night. They turned the ball over 10 times compared to Vanderbilt’s 11.

Staying in the fight—It’s only the first game of conference play but seeing Lamont Paris’ squad not quit when times were tough was a great sign. The Gamecocks are going to need that dog in them during this time of year. That’s one thing that Gamecock fans should be happy to see from their team if they continue to play hard.

Key stat

63—Vanderbilt’s bench had a massive impact on the game, scoring 63 points. South Carolina only got 10 points from its bench.

Turning point

The Gamecocks got into foul trouble throughout the entirety of the game. As a result, Brown and Bosmans-Verdonk quickly fouled out in overtime. Vanderbilt made 22 of 35 free throw shots, making a difference in the final score.

Up next

South Carolina heads back home with a few days off before facing No. 8 Tennessee Saturday afternoon. Tip-off begins at 3:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

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