Colorado State kept a controlling lead against the Gamecocks through the entirety of the game Thursday night in the Charleston Classic and won 85-53.
South Carolina let the game slip out of reach early, and due to an abundance of self-inflicted errors on both sides of the ball, the Gamecocks were never able to find an answer for the explosive Colorado State offense.
“We didn’t get the ball around the basket and finish around the rim like we wanted to or are capable of,” head coach Lamont Paris. “And we didn't shoot the ball the way that we were capable of either.”
This matchup was a physical one between both teams, with a total of 35 fouls and 24 turnovers between the two teams. Colorado State's 35 defensive rebounds made it a constant struggle for the Gamecocks to put points on the board.
“It was the perfect storm of not shooting the ball well, not taking care of the ball well, not defending well,” Paris said. “I’m not the smartest guy of all time, but I do know in basketball — you score when you have the ball, so you can’t turn the ball over.”
The Gamecocks defense never seemed to get in a positive groove, turning the ball over to the Rams four times in just the first three minutes. Colorado State took advantage of South Carolina's messy defensive play, capitalizing on the turnovers with 19 takeaway points in the Rams favor.
The Ram’s offense was commanding and pass-heavy, leading by 21 points at halftime and leaving the Gamecocks scoreless for the last fourth of the first half. Colorado State’s offense was primarily led by 6-foot-10, junior forward James Moors who spread out a total of 24 points through two consistent halves in the game.
“We just didn’t have the body language of a team that was ready to make a comeback, and it wasn’t even an insurmountable lead,” Paris said.
Freshman forward GG Jackson continued to prove his talents for the Gamecocks, having a statement second half and finishing the game with 20 points and seven rebounds.
The Gamecocks now stand at 2-1 and quickly move on to another matchup with Davidson in the Charleston Classic on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. That game can be streamed on ESPNU and ESPN2.