South Carolina basketball won its best win of the year last night.
The South Carolina basketball team put on a show in the second half, led by a stifling defense, to escape Gainesville with a road victory over a classified opponent in a conference game. The Gamecocks had a great night for AJ Lawson, who led all the players in the scoring, and hope to enjoy this great victory by advancing into the long race of the season.
South Carolina was coming out of a loss to Vanderbilt, the Commodores’ first SEC victory of the year, once again allowing their opponent to score at will in the 93-81 loss. But the tide turned in Gainesville, with Frank Martin’s team holding Florida with just 26 points in the second half, ending the game with a 13-1 run in the last seven minutes.
The last race helped South Carolina overcome a six-point deficit and reach the SEC’s third win of the season.
South Carolina did not shoot well from the outside, hitting just 4 out of 19 three-point attempts, but they were able to dominate the Gators in the painting, beating Florida by 50-30.
AJ Lawson scored 22 points, the sixth performance of 20 points in his last eight matches. Seventh Woods also contributed, setting the season’s record with 12 points, his second consecutive double-digit exit.
Florida had four double-digit players, but the Gators cooled off late. After leading 65-59 with just under seven minutes, Florida made only a single free throw in the final 6:37 am, missing the final eight shots and turning the ball over in three possessions. The 66 points were the second lowest score for the Gators of the year.
The defeat broke Gator’s four-game winning streak, which included wins over the top 15 opponents Tennessee and West Virginia. For Gamecocks, victory moves them to eighth place in the SEC ranking, with three consecutive home games on the horizon. They will host the State of Mississippi this Saturday, with a chance to return to 0.500 in the league.