Despite not leading for the first 29 minutes of the game, the South Carolina men’s basketball team pulled out a come-from-behind victory, topping Vanderbilt 69-65 to remain undefeated. Coach Frank Martin’s squad moved to 15-0, improving upon their best start since 1933-34, where the team rattled off 17 straight to start the season.
The Gamecocks got off to a poor start, allowing the Commodores to jump out to an 8-0 lead. That deficit would be the largest that the team faced, but South Carolina did not lead until PJ Dozier put the team ahead with 10:55 to go in the game. The Gamecocks would not relinquish the lead, building as large as a seven-point advantage late in the second half.
This Gamecock team has not had to play from behind much this season, as they trailed for more in the first half than they had in any game this season. South Carolina displayed great team defense yet again in the second half, holding the Commodores to 6-27 shooting in the period.
Vanderbilt came into the game shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc this season. The Commodores hit a pair of threes in the opening minutes, but then made just three of 22 attempts for the rest of the game.
Martin was adamant in telling his team that Vanderbilt was significantly better than their pregame 8-6 record would suggest. At SEC Media Days, the Commodores were picked to finish second in the SEC, which would likely give them a tournament berth. Vanderbilt is in trouble, however, now just a game from .500 and 0-3 in the SEC.
The Commodores have struggled with injuries this season, but their full rotation was available Saturday. However, the team’s second leading scorer Damian Jones played just 16 minutes due to foul trouble. Jones, the starting center, averages 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season.
Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell was the driving force for the Gamecocks, leading the team with 19 points and eight rebounds. Thornwell leads the team with 12.6 points per game this year, but there are five players who average double-figures for the balanced South Carolina attack.
Two of those players, junior guard Duane Notice and senior forward Michael Carrera, had tough outings, combining for just 12 points on 3-12 shooting from the field. Fortunately for the Gamecocks, reserve guard Marcus Stroman made a solid contribution on offense, recording 7 points and four assists.
This was the closest call of the season for the Gamecocks, who are now 15-0 and 2-0 in SEC play. Next up, South Carolina will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 13.