Gamecocks' SEC Tournament Ends in Loss

0:00On March 12, South Carolina's men's basketball team saw their season end in the first round of the SEC tournament with an 86-74. Lost to Oklahoma on Wednesday night in Nashville. The Gamecocks finished the year 13-19 overall, four and 15 in conference play, under coach Lamont Paris in his fourth season. They needed five straight wins just to keep playing, but couldn't get past this opener against the sooner squad they had beaten during the regular season. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 13-point lead midway through the first half, hitting seven of their first 10 shots from beyond the arc. But they cooled off quickly, failing to score in the final two minutes before half-time, and the teams went into the break, tied at 42. All season long, South Carolina rang dead last in the SEC from three-point range, despite firing plenty of them. Their senior guards, Miti Johnson, Mike Sharp, Jams and Kobe Knox carried the load again, combining for 43 points, but no one else cracked.

1:01Double figures and the rest of the roster struggled offensively. Oklahoma flipped the script in the second half, starting strong with 12 quick points while holding USC to just five. The Sooners, now 18 and 14, attacked inside effectively and never trailed after that, shooting well from the floor in both halves. This early exit caps the tough year for the Gamecocks, leaving them to regroup in the off season as Oklahoma eyes a deeper tournament run.