Feb. 28, 2018

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

Men’s Basketball vs. LSU

• =”” target=”_blank”>Final Box
• =”” target=”_blank”>Photo Gallery
• @GamecockMBB

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Frank Booker scored 25 points and Wesley Myers added 23 to lead South Carolina to an 83-74 overtime win over LSU on Wednesday night.

Hassani Gravett scored all six of his points in the extra period, including a 3-pointer to open the period as the Gamecocks (16-14, 7-10 Southeastern Conference) scored the first nine points of overtime.

The Tigers (16-13, 7-10) had two shots blocked, two turnovers and missed two free throws, a 3-pointer and a layup in their opening seven possessions of overtime.

South Carolina led 62-47 with 8:08 to go. But LSU finished regulation on a 25-10 run and Tremont Waters’ 3-pointer with 3.7 seconds left over 6-foot-10 Maik Kotsar sent the game to overtime tied at 72.

The Gamecocks had their own 15-1 run in the middle of the second half.

Waters had 19 points and Brandon Rachal added seven points and 13 rebounds for LSU.

Chris Silva scored eight points before fouling out with 19.3 seconds left in regulation.

While 10 teams are either projected in the NCAA Tournament or on the bubble in the SEC, these two teams likely need to win the SEC Tournament for an NCAA bid. Right now they are trying to avoid the opening day of the conference tournament and needing to win five games in five days for a title. A win Saturday will likely be enough for either team.

BIG PICTURE

LSU: The Tigers are going to have a winning season with first-year coach Will Wade after being picked to finish last in the SEC before the season started and going 10-21 in 2016-17. But it could have been even better. This isn’t the first one LSU has let get away. LSU has now been down double-digits three times in the second half, come back, but not won.

South Carolina: Booker and Myers were graduate students brought in to help with a massive drain of talent from South Carolina’s Final Four team last year. They were honored on Senior Day and combined for their best game of the season. The win also lets the Gamecocks creep closer to the winning season needed for a possible NIT bid.

KEY STAT

The Gamecocks shot 61 percent (17-for-28) in the second half and overtime Wednesday night, knocking down eight 3s the final 25 minutes of the game.

NOTABLE

• Head coach Frank Martin’s record moves to 13-7 in overtime in his career as a head coach. The Gamecocks played back-to-back overtime games tonight for the first time since the 2005-06 season (vs. Georgia 1/14/06 & at Vanderbilt (1/18/06).
• After allowing 13 offensive rebounds the first 20 minutes, Carolina allowed just one offensive board combined in the second half and overtime.
• Graduate transfer guards Frank Booker (25) and Wesley Myers (23) combined for 48 of the team’s 83 points (57.8 percent) in their Senior Night farewell at Colonial Life Arena.
• Booker matched career-highs in points (25) and made 3s (6). He was 8-for-10 from the floor, and 6-for-7 from behind the arc.
• Myers recorded season-highs in points (23) and rebounds (7). His 11 makes on 14 attempts at the charity stripe are a new career high.
• Booker, Myers and redshirt junior guard Hassani Gravett each played 38 minutes.

UP NEXT

South Carolina ends the regular season on the road this Saturday, traveling to face No. 14/15 Auburn in a 3:30 p.m. ET matchup on the SEC Network with Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Sean Harrington (analyst) on the call.