Nov. 23, 2015

ST. THOMAS, USVI — South Carolina posted a 10-point win versus Hofstra on Sunday night to advance to Monday’s championship finale of the Paradise Jam to face undefeated Tulsa. The meeting is the first all-time between the two schools.

GAME STORYLINES

– South Carolina is in its 108th season of varsity basketball in 2015-16.
– Carolina is led by fourth-year head coach Frank Martin. Alongside him are associate head coach Matt Figger, assistant coaches Perry Clark and Lamont Evans and director of men’s hoops operations, Andy Assaley.
– Led by senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas’ 18 points, all five Gamecock starters scored in double figures, and Carolina posted a 94-84 victory over a previously undefeated Hofstra squad, in the semi-final round of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas on Sunday night. The game, which didn’t end until past 12:30 AM local time, saw both team’s shoot above 50 percent from both the floor and 3-point range. Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell dished a team best six assists, and rookie point guard PJ Dozier put together the best game of his young career with a 12-point, nine-rebound effort in the win.
– Led by a career high 23 points from senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas, South Carolina posted a 76-61 win over DePaul in the opening round of the Paradise Jam on Friday. Kacinas scored 14 in the first half, and finished the game hitting 10-of-15 from the free throw line, also career highs. Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell collected the fourth double-double of his career with 10 points and a game best 10 rebounds. Carolina held the Blue Demons to just 36.5 percent from the floor, and just 21.4 percent from 3.
– The Gamecocks held a 33-30 halftime lead against Oral Roberts on Nov. 16, but 19 second-half points from senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius fueled a 51-36 Gamecock advantage in the second stanza, which resulted in an 84-66 victory for the home team. Chatkevicius finished with a career high 27, while fellow senior Mindaugas Kacinas notched his fourth-career double-double with 12 points and a game high 13 rebounds.

SCOUTING TULSA

Tulsa is led by head coach Frank Haith, a former head coach at Missouri and Miami (Fla.). The Golden Hurricane own a 4-0 record entering Monday night’s contest after wins vs. Central Arkansas, an upset win over No. 9 Wichita State, and Paradise Jam victories vs. Ohio and Indiana State. Four members of the Tulsa squad average double-figure scoring entering the contest, led by senior guard Shaquille Harrison’s 24.3 points per game. Harrison scored 31 and 24 points, respectively, vs. Ohio and Indiana State in tournament play over the weekend. Fellow senior guard James Woodard adds 16.8 points per game as well. Tulsa has hit 47.2 percent from the floor this season.

BY THE NUMBERS

37 – South Carolina’s 37 made shots vs. Hofstra are the most for the Gamecocks under the direction of Frank Martin and the most since posting 35 makes vs. Elon on Nov. 19, 2010.
6 – South Carolina junior guard Sindarius Thornwell dished six assists vs. Hofstra. He leads the Gamecocks with 4.5 assists per game which ranks tied for eighth in the SEC.
61 – South Carolina’s front court combined for 61 of Carolina’s 94 points vs. Hofstra.
44 – South Carolina’s 44 points in the paint vs. Hofstra marked a season high in the category and the most since Carolina posted 42 points in the paint vs. NC A&T on Dec. 30, 2014.
18.0 – South Carolina leads the SEC with 18.0 offensive rebounds per game and Kacinas ranks fourth in the league with 3.8 offensive boards per outing.

UP NEXT

South Carolina returns home to host Lipscomb on Friday at 2 p.m. ET. That game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. Is is the first meeting between the two schools.