South Carolina’s Comeback Falls Short in Senior Night Loss to Georgia
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – South Carolina had already played spoiler twice, upsetting Texas and Arkansas in recent weeks. With another NCAA Tournament bubble team in Georgia coming to town, the Gamecocks had a chance to do it again.
For a moment, it looked like they might. But despite a strong second-half push, South Carolina (12-18, 2-15 SEC) couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 73-64 to the Bulldogs on Senior Night.
“Our effort was good. The guys wanted to win. We made a nice run in the second half, just weren’t able to take the lead,” head coach Lamont Paris said. “Once you take the lead in a game like that, I think that’s a huge hurdle to overcome, and confidence starts to soar.”
The loss cements South Carolina as the No. 16 seed for next week’s SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks will face the No. 9 seed in the opening game on March 12 at 1 p.m. in Nashville.
How It Happened
South Carolina’s two SEC wins came after forcing slow starts from Texas and Arkansas, allowing the Gamecocks to build early leads. Georgia wasn’t about to make the same mistake.
The Bulldogs shot over 60% from the field for most of the first half, finishing at 53.3% (16-of-30) before the break. That efficiency helped them hold the lead for the entire half.
“I think our general activity and energy could have been a little bit better in the first half,” Paris admitted. “But I’m also realistic. They had some guys make tough shots—challenged mid-range jumpers from the baseline.”
Meanwhile, South Carolina struggled offensively, shooting just 34.4% from the field. Still, the Gamecocks hung around, fueled by five three-pointers—two each from Jacobi Wright and Zachary Davis, plus another from Arden Conyers.
However, Georgia’s defense disrupted key possessions, blocking five shots and forcing empty trips late in the half. South Carolina failed to make a field goal in the final three minutes, allowing the Bulldogs to take an 11-point halftime lead.
Second-Half Fightback Falls Short
Out of the break, South Carolina quickly cut the deficit after Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamarii Thomas drained three-pointers. A putback layup by Murray-Boyles could have made it even closer, but officials waved it off.
Despite some early missed free throws, Murray-Boyles was aggressive, earning multiple trips to the line. But he missed three of his first four attempts, preventing South Carolina from closing the gap further.
Defensively, the Gamecocks tightened up, keeping Georgia from finding its first-half rhythm. That allowed Nick Pringle to bring the game within two points after a clutch and-one play.
Then, in a two-minute stretch, the game slipped away. Georgia responded with an 8-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Blue Cain, pushing the lead back to double digits.
“We really just got to make winning plays at that point,” Pringle said. “We were fighting to get back into the game. Once those threes went in, they pushed it back to 10, and it was tough to climb out of that hole.”
Still, South Carolina kept battling. Murray-Boyles led the way with 14 second-half points and finished with 24 total, going 11-for-16 at the free-throw line.
With under two minutes to play, the Gamecocks cut the deficit to four. But Murray-Boyles missed two more crucial free throws, and on the next possession, Georgia’s Dylan James sealed the game with an and-one layup.
Key Takeaways
Much More Competitive
Despite their 13-game losing streak, South Carolina has looked much improved in recent weeks. Outside of the Missouri loss, they’ve been in tight games but still haven’t found a way to finish.
Three-Pointers Kept South Carolina Alive
While the Gamecocks struggled from the field (37.3%), their three-point shooting (10-of-22, 45.5%) kept them in the game. They were especially effective from deep in the second half (5-of-9, 55.6%). Meanwhile, Georgia dominated inside, shooting 48.1% overall, despite hitting just 27.8% from three.
Key Stat: Rebounding Disparity
Georgia 37, South Carolina 23 – The Bulldogs controlled the glass, leading to 11 second-chance points and a crucial edge in the paint.
Turning Point
With South Carolina down six in the final minute, Murray-Boyles missed two free throws, allowing Georgia’s Dylan James to capitalize with an and-one layup—effectively ending the comeback attempt.
Up Next
South Carolina will wrap up the regular season on Saturday at No. 4 Tennessee. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on SEC Network.
