[ad_1]
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – It was never going to be easy. A historic season has come to an end as sixth-seeded South Carolina falls to the Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The game remained tied at the beginning of the first half. Three consecutive three-pointers, by Jacobi Wright and Meechie Johnson, put the lead with 8 minutes left in the half. A quick 5-0 run by former Gamecock Jermaine Couisnard brought the lead to 1.
As South Carolina struggled to score late in the second half, Oregon took control. The Ducks went on an 11-0 run with a minute and a half left in the first, capped by a N’Faly Dante free throw.
A Ta’lon Cooper three-pointer at half court cut Oregon’s lead to 5, giving Oregon a 34-29 lead at the half.
South Carolina struggled to score throughout the first half. The Gamecocks shot 32.1 percent from the field, while Oregon shot 61 percent. While scoring for the Gamecocks became easier in the second, the Ducks finished the game at an astonishing 59 percent.
Oregon took control early in the second half extending a five-point lead to 10 with 16 left. N’Faly Dante was one of the main catalysts for Oregon’s second-half run. The Duck’s leading scorer scored 8 to start the half, including a monster dunk by N’Faly Dante.
A big 3-pointer by Couisnard gave Oregon a 14-point lead just five minutes into the second half.
Oregon led by as many as 18 in the second half. South Carolina cut the lead to ten with five minutes remaining, however, another three from Couisnard helped keep the lead at 13.
South Carolina fought hard as it has all season, cutting Oregon’s lead to 11 down the stretch. But it was not enough. The Gamecocks fell to Oregon 85-73 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Junior guard Meechie Johnson played well in the first-round matchup, finishing the game with 24 points and making big shots to keep the team within striking distance. The team’s scoring leader seemed to bounce back after struggling in the SEC Tournament, averaging just 4.5 points on 20 percent shooting.
BJ Mack, the team’s second-leading scorer, began to heat up in the second half before fouling out late in the game. The forward shot 4-11 in the game, finishing the game with 13 points, including 8 in the second half.
Second Team All-SEC Ta’Lon Cooper helped keep the Gamecocks in the game with his scoring presence, scoring 15 points, including 3 three-pointers in the game.
South Carolina faced a familiar face in Thursday’s matchup. Senior guard Jermaine Couisnard, who played for the Gamecocks his first four years, dominated his former team. Couisnard scored 40 points, making tough shots throughout the game. His 40 points were the most points by an Oregon player in the NCAA Tournament.
Couisnard has been one of the Ducks’ most impactful players this season. The point guard is second on the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game, and he also leads the team in assists and steals.
The team’s leading scorer, N’Faly Dante, finished the game with 23 points and only two missed shots.
South Carolina faced the odds of finishing in sixth place. Nearly 39% of the 11 eliminate their sixth seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
You can watch Lamont Paris’ comments after the game here:
You can watch Meechie Johnson and Ta’Lon Cooper’s comments after the game here:
Feel more informed, prepared and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our Electronic newsletterand download our applications. Do you have comments that can help us improve? Click here.
Copyright 2024 WIS. All rights reserved.
[ad_2]
Source link