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Confident Gamecocks face No. 21 Volunteers (Jan 20, 2018)
South Carolina will look to build off its biggest win of the season, an upset of No. 18 Kentucky, when the Gamecocks host No. 21 Tennessee on Saturday in a battle of two SEC teams with postseason aspirations.
South Carolina forward Chris Silva continued his breakout season, tying his career-high with 27 points and helping the Gamecocks overcome a 14-point deficit in the second half to knock off the Wildcats 76-68 on Tuesday night.
"Obviously, anytime you're down in the second half and figure out a way to come back, it's good," South Carolina coach Frank Martin told reporters after the win.
Martin said he was most proud of the leadership Silva, Wes Myers and Frank Booker displayed. Unlike in games at Alabama, Temple and Clemson, players took responsibility against Kentucky to make sure the game didn't slip away when things started to go sideways.
"Those three guys said not tonight. We were trying to hang our head again. Credit to them," Martin said.
Tennessee (12-5, 3-3 SEC) is looking to bounce back from a tough 59-55 loss at Missouri on Wednesday.
The Vols erased a 10-point deficit in the final seven minutes, but couldn't complete the comeback and had their three-game win streak snapped, which included a 76-65 win over Kentucky.
The 55 points were a season-low for coach Rick Barnes' squad. The Vols couldn't find their shooting touch and connected on 21 of 54 from the field and only went 5 of 21 from beyond the arc.
Free throws doomed Tennessee as the Volunteers made only 8 of 13 attempts. The Tigers went 15-for-17.
"I think this is a typical SEC game," Barnes said. "I think it is going to be like this all year. I think they're all going to be hard like this. I don't think you can go anywhere.
"I think it's going to be a grind wherever you go. I think this is the best basketball league in the country."
Tennessee forward Grant Williams, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, finished with 15 points in 35 minutes in the loss, but appeared to wear down in the late stages.
"We had nine turnovers, and he had four of them," Barnes said. "Some of that has to do with fatigue. We don't want to play him 35 minutes, but that goes back to needing more from our bench."
Tennessee's reserves finished with 13 points against Missouri. The Volunteers backcourt of Jordan Bone and Jordan Bowden also had an off night, combining for three points on 1 of 13 shooting.
"We need a better performance overall," Barnes added.
Silva is averaging 19.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in SEC play. He'll be a force battling inside with Williams and Admiral Schofield for the Vols.
South Carolina has won the last three meetings with Tennessee, including an 82-55 rout of the Vols in February.
The Gamecocks are 7-1 at home this season.
"We've got incredible fans at this school," Martin said. "They make an unbelievable difference for our basketball team when they show up."
