Absences mount as South Carolina drops sixth in a row. What went wrong

Michael Lananna
·2 min read

The losses keep piling up.

Once again playing with a short-handed roster, the South Carolina men’s basketball team dropped its sixth straight game on Wednesday night at Mississippi State, falling to the Bulldogs, 69-48.

The six-game streak matches the longest losing streak for the Gamecocks under head coach Frank Martin.

3 Observations from USC-Mississippi State

1. Woods, Hannibal don’t travel

There was some good news on the injury front for the Gamecocks, as sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard returned from an ankle injury that sidelined him for two games.

However, that news was overshadowed by the surprising absence of guards Seventh Woods and Trae Hannibal, neither of whom traveled with the team to Starkville.

Woods, the team’s starting point guard, injured his head during practice this week. No explanation was given for Hannibal’s absence other than Martin telling SEC Network announcers that Hannibal “needed the day off.” The sophomore guard was coming off a career-high 15-point game in USC’s loss to Missouri.

With Woods out, sophomore T.J. Moss earned the start at point guard, with Couisnard playing behind him.

2. Bulldogs dominate inside

Most teams have had a size advantage against USC this year, as the Gamecocks lost their most experienced big man in Alanzo Frink for the season and have played with a smaller lineup.

Mississippi State used its length to bully South Carolina at the glass and inside the paint.

The Bulldogs featured a dynamic duo in the frontcourt with 6-foot-11 Abdul Ado and 6-foot-10 Tolu Smith. Behind them, Mississippi State out-rebounded South Carolina, 49-24. The Bulldogs also outscored South Carolina in the paint, 38-20.

3. Shots don’t fall

The Gamecocks had one of their worst shooting games of the season, finishing below 30% from the field and below 20% from the 3-point line.

After averaging nearly 20 points a game, USC guard A.J. Lawson finished with 10 points. Keyshawn Bryant added 14.

Next USC basketball game

Who: South Carolina (5-11, 3-9 SEC) at Georgia (14-9, 7-9)

Where: Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Watch: SEC Network

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