Gamecocks Defeat Costa Rica 73-53 On Sunday

Aug. 7, 2016

COSTA RICA – The South Carolina men’s basketball team posted a 73-53 victory over the Costa Rica National Team on Sunday afternoon in San Ramon. The Gamecocks are on day two of a six-day foreign tour in the country. Senior guard Justin McKie led Carolina with 17 points in the win, while classmate Duane Notice added 16.

Prior to the matchup, South Carolina hosted a clinic for the local community of San Ramon, where youth in attendance were able to learn basketball skills from the Gamecocks.

McKie and Notice led the Gamecocks on the offensive end, while senior guard Sindarius Thornwell and sophomore guard Hassani Gravett both pulled down a team high nine rebounds, and dished four assists. Freshman forward Maik Kotsar and sophomore guard TeMarcus Blanton were also among rebound leaders with seven each. Notice led all scorers with 12 points at the halftime break.

“I thought after the first quarter we were able to shake off a few jitters and travel, and settle in and defend,” associate head coach Matt Figger said of today’s victory. “We shot the ball pretty well and we played without fouling. We mixed and matched guys together to see how we would handle playing different spots. For the most part it was pleasing. We were able to run and score in transition and that gave us a comfortable lead. We fatigued in the second half, which was expected. I thought we were able to make the game faster by pressing and then controlled the game by using our zone.”

South Carolina will face the Costa Rica National Team again on Monday afternoon, hosting a clinic for Special Olympics prior to the contest. Continue to visit GamecocksOnline.com for updates on the foreign tour.