COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – It was never going to be easy. A historic season has come to an end as 6-seed South Carolina falls to Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The game stayed close early in the first half. Three back-to-back threes, from Jacobi Wright and Meechie Johnson brought the lead to with 8 minutes left in the half. A quick 5-0 run from former Gamecock Jermaine Couisnard brought the lead to 1.
While South Carolina struggled to score late in the second half, Oregon took control. The Ducks went on an 11-0 run with a minute and a half left in the first, capped off by a free throw by N’Faly Dante.
A halfcourt buzzer-beating three by Ta’lon Cooper brought the Oregon lead down to 5, giving Oregon a 34-29 lead at the half.
South Carolina struggled to score the entire first half. The Gamecocks shot 32.1 percent from the field while Oregon shot 61 percent. While scoring for the Gamecocks became easier in the second, the Ducks ended the game shooting a blistering 59 percent.
Oregon took control early in the second half extending a five-point lead to 10 with 16 left to play. N’Faly Dante was one of the main catalysts for Oregon’s second-half run. The Duck’s leader in points scored 8 early in the half, including a monster alley-oop dunk by N’Faly Dante.
A big three by Couisnard gave Oregon a 14-point lead just five minutes into the second half.
Oregon led by as much as 18 in the second half. South Carolina cut the lead down to ten with five minutes remaining, however, another three by Couisnard helped keep the lead at 13.
South Carolina fought hard like they have been all season, bringing the Oregon lead down to 11 during the home stretch. But it wasn’t enough. The Gamecocks fell to Oregon 85-73 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Junior guard Meechie Johnson played well in the first-round matchup, finishing the game with 24 points, and making big shots to keep the team within striking distance. The team leader in points looked to bounce back after struggling in the SEC Tournament, averaging just 4.5 points on 20 percent shooting.
B.J. Mack, the team’s second-leading scorer, started to get hot in the second half before fouling out late in the game. The forward shot 4-11 in the game, finishing the game with 13 points including 8 in the second half.
Second-team All-SEC Ta’Lon Cooper helped keep the Gamecocks in the game with his scoring presence, scoring 15 points including 3 threes in the game.
South Carolina faced a familiar face in Thursday’s matchup. Senior guard Jermaine Couisnard, who played for the Gamecocks for his first four years, dominated his former team. Couisnard scored 40 points, hitting tough shots throughout the game. His 40 points were the most points by an Oregon player in the NCAA Tournament.
Couisnard has been one of the most impactful players on the Ducks this season. The guard is second on the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game, also leading the team in assists and steals.
The team’s leading scorer, N’Faly Dante, finished the game with 23 points on just two missed shots.
South Carolina was facing the odds of being a 6-seed. Nearly 39% of 11s knock off the 6-seed they are matched up with in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
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