MEN'S BASKETBALL. NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Carter Jr.'s Late Bucket Lifts South Carolina over Clemson, 60-58

The senior guard had a game-high 16 points and hit the winning shot with 0.9 seconds remaining on Friday night​

FINAL BOX (PDF) / SEASON STATS (PDF)
ALL VIDEOS COURTESY OF USC SPORTS MEDIA OUTLET

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Chico Carter Jr. had 16 points, including a turn-around basket with 0.9 seconds left to lift South Carolina to a 60-58 win over rival Clemson on Friday night.
The Tigers (1-1) were down nine points at the half and trailed 58-51 with less than three minutes to play. But they tied the game on Brevin Galloway’s two foul shots with 7.8 to play. That’s when Carter dribbled the ball down the left side into a defender, then turned to loft a soft shot that sent the crowd into hysterics.
Clemson didn’t get off a final shot in time.
Carter, among the few holdovers from last year’s team for new coach Lamont Paris, had four of the Gamecocks (2-0) 10 3-pointers. Carter’s last one followed a three from Hayden Brown to put South Carolina ahead 55-49 with 5:04 remaining.
The Tigers fell to the Gamecocks for the first time in three meetings — and on Paris’ 48th birthday.
Paris became South Carolina’s first first-year head coach to win the rivalry game since Dave Odom did it in 2001.
Freshman Gregory “GG” Jackson II had 12 points and eight rebounds while Josh Gray led the team with 10 rebounds and three of its four blocks.
Clemson, picked 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, was down 35-26 at the half and trailed throughout the second half. The Tigers got within two points twice, the last at 58-56 on PJ Hall’s basket with 1:19 to play.
KEY STAT
  • The Gamecocks’ five players from the Palmetto State that saw game action tonight against Clemson combined for 47 points, 17 of the team’s 22 made field goals, nine of the team’s 10 made 3s, 22 rebounds, seven assists and six steals.
NOTABLES
  • Head coach Lamont Paris became the first coach since Dave Odom in 2001 to beat Clemson in his first season at the helm. The Gamecocks defeated Tigers, 81-59, on the road on Dec. 8, 2001 under Odom.
  • Chico Carter Jr. led the team with a game-high 16 points. He scored 21 points against Clemson in last season’s game for a short-handed Gamecocks team.
  • Three players scored in double figures for Carolina: Carter Jr. (16), Jackson II (12), and Wright (10).
  • Junior forward Josh Gray led the Gamecocks with 10 rebounds, his second career game with double-digit rebounds. He also matched a career-high with three blocks (did it three times during the 2021-22 season).
  • The Gamecock defense allowed just 37.7 percent shooting by the Tigers (23-for-61).
  • Carolina received valuable contributions from its bench with 18 points and 22 rebounds.
  • Carolina now leads the all-time series 92-80 with tonight’s victory.
  • Tonight’s win was the first over Clemson at home since Dec. 19, 2014, a 68-45 rivalry victory at Colonial Life Arena.
UP NEXT
South Carolina gets a quick break from games before heading to the coast to play in the 2022 Shriners Children’s Hospital Charleston Classic ; the Gamecocks will face Colorado State (2-0) in the team’s opening contest on Thursday (Nov. 17) at 5 p.m. (ET) on ESPNU. Jay Alter (pxp) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst) will be on the call for TV.

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