South Carolina Fights, But Foul Trouble and Free Throws Doom Them in Loss to Texas
AUSTIN, Texas - South Carolina came into Saturday’s matchup against Texas with a plan: attack the paint, play through contact, and stay away from the perimeter-heavy identity that’s defined much of their season. And for a while, it worked. The Gamecocks scored their first 10 points in the paint, looked committed to a more physical offensive identity, and even had Texas on its heels early.
But then came the whistles.
With nine first-half fouls called on South Carolina’s forwards and centers, the Gamecocks were forced to abandon any real interior defense. From that point on, Texas took control - not so much by dominating the flow of play, but by dominating the free-throw line.
The Longhorns made 29 of their 36 attempts from the stripe, including 21 in the first half alone. That’s five more makes than South Carolina even attempted.
It was a frustrating reality for a USC team that had clearly shifted its offensive focus to the interior. The Gamecocks were trying to match Texas’ physicality inside, but the whistles didn’t go both ways.
Despite attacking the same areas of the floor, South Carolina only earned 24 free-throw attempts. On the other end, any defender sent to check Texas’ 7-foot center Matas Vokietaitis seemed to pick up a foul within seconds.
First-time starter E.J. Walker, along with Elijah Strong, Hayden Assemian, and Christ Essandoko, were all in foul trouble early - and often.
That foul situation opened the door for Texas to play their game, and they took full advantage. The Longhorns pulled down 17 offensive rebounds and turned them into 20 second-chance points.
That’s not about officiating - that’s about effort and execution on the glass. South Carolina simply couldn’t match it.
Still, the Gamecocks didn’t fold. Despite being outmuscled and outnumbered in the paint, they hung around.
And a big reason why was Meechie Johnson. The senior guard was electric, pouring in a career-high 35 points and keeping USC within striking distance when the offense otherwise went cold.
He was the only consistent scoring option for a team that struggled to find rhythm outside of him.
Late in the game, it looked like South Carolina might have one last push in them. When Mike Sharavjamts converted a tough layup through contact and knocked down the free throw with 3:23 remaining, the Gamecocks had cut the deficit to just two points.
Momentum was shifting. But Texas responded, and South Carolina couldn’t string together enough stops - or get enough calls - down the stretch.
The 84-75 final tells part of the story. The rest lies in the disparity at the line, the foul trouble that gutted USC’s frontcourt depth, and a Texas team that took advantage of every opportunity. South Carolina, now 11-12 overall and 2-8 in SEC play, showed flashes of growth with their interior-focused approach, but they’ll need more than flashes to turn the corner in a brutally physical conference.
For now, it's another tough lesson in a season full of them.