Gamecocks Weather Storm In The Desert, Defeat DePaul 73-68
Lamont Paris and the South Carolina Gamecocks came into the Arizona Tip-off event looking to attain a 4-0 record, the best start for the program since their magical Final Four run in the 2016-27 season. While it wasn't easy, they managed to find a way against the DePaul Blue Demons, securing a 73-68 victory.
The Gamecocks got off to a fast start offensively in the opening four minutes, as Carolina made six of their first ten shots from the floor, four of those makes coming courtesy of athletic guard Meechie Johnson. The offense, however, would hit a bit of a lull, as Paris' squad would only score five points between the 15:35 and the 10:41 mark.
In that same stretch, DePaul would get the Gamecocks' frontcourt in a bit of foul trouble, as the Blue Demons would emphasize attacking the low block, and BJ Mack, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, and Stephen Clark all received two fouls within the first 10 minutes and 11 seconds of the first half. This forced Lamont to have to play a smaller for a decent portion of the final ten minutes of the half, but that didn't slow down Carolina's downhill play, which continued to best showcase Johnson's skillset, as the fourth year player from Ohio would score another three buckets, finishing the period with 18 points.
Meechie Johnson driving into the lane against Georgia last season (4th March, 2023)
Jeff Blake | USA Today Network
Coming out of the break with a nine-point lead, the Gamecocks and Blue Demons began to trade shots on both ends of the floor, with neither team scoring two consecutive baskets for the first 13 minutes and 36 seconds of the second half. Carolina, in particular, would struggle to create and or maintain an offensive rhythm, as they wouldn't make a field goal between the 10:12 and 4:53 mark, leading to the Blue Demons cutting their lead down to as low as eight points.
In the final four minutes of the game, a couple of timely Jacobi Wright baskets and unwiltering defensive effort would help the Gamecocks maintain a big enough cushion over DePaul, and help them secure their fourth win of the season. They'll play in the championship game of the Cactus division in the Arizona Tip-off, and will take Grand Canyon.
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