Basketball Breakdown

Quick Recap:

South Carolina got off to a fast start using their defense and making some early shots however an injury to Dominique Archie at the 13 minute mark would put a damper on the early momentum.  Carolina’s defense gave Miami fits in the early part of the game and would cause 12 turnovers in the first half that they would convert into 14 points.

Still the loss of the versatile Archie would send the Gamecocks into an offensive funk that caused them to fall behind by three at halftime.  Preliminary reports on Archie are saying that he has blown out his ACL in his right knee and should those hold up to be true it is likely he will have played his final game in a Gamecock uniform. 

From the point of Archie’s injury the Gamecocks struggled as they made just 12-of-36 shots in the first half and were just 6-of-17 from the three point line.  Miami who had started off cold, would heat up and make 13-of-29 shots from the field at a 44 percent clip.  The troubling statistic would be that the Gamecocks were out rebounded 28-to-14 in the half and allowed 16 points in the point to the Hurricanes.

South Carolina would come out ready to fight in the second half as Downey knocked down a three quickly to tie the game at 34 on the opening possession.  Miami though would stay hot as they made 12 of their first 17 shots they attempted to build the lead to as many as 13. 

Carolina would make a small run to cut the lead to seven points late in the half however it was not enough as Miami would slam the door shut on the way to an 85-70 victory.

The Gamecocks were out rebounded for the game 57-to-31 and allowed Miami to shoot a whopping 54 percent from the field as they finished making 30-of-56 shots on the night.  Dwayne Collins led the way with 17 points and 15 rebounds including six of those on the offensive end of the floor. 

Downey led the Gamecocks with 20 points however had to take 23 shots making just eight.  Ramon Galloway would knock down four three pointers as he finished with 14 points on the night.  Holmes poured in 10 points and seven rebounds to give the Gamecocks an inside presence however Carolina would shoot 11-of-34 from three point range.

Player of the Game:  Dwayne Collins

Collins came through with a monster double double as he scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds on the night to give Miami a physical presence in the post.  The senior knocked down 6-of-11 shots and grabbed six of his rebounds on the offensive end of the floor as he was the type of physical post player that at times has given the Gamecocks fits. 

Stat of the Game:  Being out rebounded 57-to-31

The issue is that South Carolina has some players that should give them the ability to hold their own in the rebounding department.  On the night Sam Muldrow only grabbed two rebounds while the other Gamecocks post player with length and height Johndre Jefferson did not have a single rebound.  Mike Holmes led the team with seven rebounds on the night Downey would finish second on the team with five.

With SEC teams sure to be bigger and more physical this is an area that South Carolina will have to figure out very quickly as they cannot allow themselves to give up that many second chance points. Miami had two players finish with double digit rebounds in Collins and guard Durand Scott who had ten. 

What does it all mean?

Losing happens for teams, taking North Carolina’s loss to Syracuse the other night as a fact of that.  However to lose one of your seniors and important offensive players leaves this South Carolina feeling worse than you would during a regular loss. 

The Gamecocks started off well and played with fire and intensity but when Archie crumpled to the ground with his ACL injury, you could feel the air leave the Gamecock team and maybe even the program.  Darrin Horn has done a fantastic job of bring energy back to Columbia in regards to basketball however he now faces the challenge of replacing a senior leader that appeared to be playing his best basketball of his career.

More important the Gamecocks need guys like Brandis Raley-Ross and Mike Holmes to step into roles they are not accustomed to play such as scoring and being team leaders. Sam Muldrow finished the game not scoring a single point and grabbing just one rebound.  It will be type that of performance that Horn and the team cannot have anymore of as it will spell a Gamecock loss on the majority of the nights they play. 

As for Archie’s back up, Lakeem Jackson with his build and ability to play either the guard or forward spot was the heir apparent for Archie’s role but he was supposed to have a year to develop and not have to step into that role just six games into his career. 

The Gamecocks are still a deep team however roles are now going to have to be quickly adjusted the mental psyche of this team will have to built up.  One loss with Archie or without Archie is not a killer and this team still has a lot to play for. The goal of making the NCAA tournament is still there and if the Gamecocks can use December to re-adjust themselves and find everybody’s role they can still finish with a decent year as this team is more than just Archie.

Carolina returns to the court next Friday night against Jacksonville and there will be some bumps along the way however the time to mourn Archie’s loss will have to be short lived if he is indeed out for the year.