Gamecock Men Fall Short Again, Losing Streak Continues…

They held onto the ball. They played their best offensive half of the season. They didn’t let the top offensive rebounding team in the league get offensive rebounds.

And South Carolina still lost to No. 13 Texas A&M on Saturday, 76-72, because somehow the worst shooting team in the SEC ripped the Gamecocks’ defense for 11 3-pointers, nine in the first 15 minutes.

“In some ways, it feels like some level of Groundhog Day,” coach Lamont Paris said. “When you’re struggling to make 3s, that’s not normally how it works.”

USC fell to 10-12 and remained winless in the SEC halfway through the 18-game conference schedule. Nine straight SEC losses ties the school record and the Gamecocks have No. 12 Kentucky in Rupp Arena in a week.

There’s no end in sight, just hope that it will all click one night and get the Gamecocks into the win column. The postseason is most likely three consecutive “Hoosiers” endings away from being even a remote possibility, but perhaps a .500 season could still be obtained.

If.

The “if” keeps changing. USC couldn’t hold onto the ball in its last five games, recording a staggering 93 turnovers. On Saturday, the Gamecocks did pretty well, with only 12 turnovers.

The inevitable run to get the game within a possession came, as it usually has during a very dry January, USC four times pulling within two points in the final 14 minutes. But the Aggies (17-5, 6-3 SEC) did what they do best — offensive rebound — to create second chances.

They only got nine, well off their average of 17, but it was enough to stay ahead. Especially when the whistles began to chirp, turning a game with only 12 combined fouls thus far into nine fouls over the next five minutes. 

A&M couldn’t lock it down, though, missing five of six free throws in the final seconds to make it a 74-72 ballgame. But forced to foul, the Gamecocks put Henry Coleman at the line and he made both of his attempts to cinch the final score.

The worst-shooting team in the league, and the second-worst SEC team at attempting 3-pointers, A&M built its lead by hitting 3s. The Aggies reverted to going inside when the game got tight and were rewarded with kindly calls, while USC couldn’t make enough shots to stay close.

Another game where the effort was there and if one more break appears, USC wins. Another game where the Gamecocks got a solid game from a surprising source: Jordan Butler played 10 strong minutes with two blocks and one made 3-pointer.

But Wade Taylor drilled seven 3s among his 25 points and while USC placed four in double figures, it wasn’t enough.

“When you see who made most of those 3s, it’s a different story,” said Collin Murray-Boyles, who scored 22 points. “Wade’s one helluva player. He was really effective today.”

Another game USC could have had, and another game USC lost.

“At this point, they want to win badly,” Paris said. “I think our attention to detail can certainly get better. Our grasping of a moment and the gravity of that moment. We have to understand that better.”

Next game

The Gamecocks will tip off at No. 12 Kentucky at noon on Feb. 8.