Gamecocks On The Road At Mississippi State Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (5-11, 3-9 SEC) continues SEC play when it travels to face Mississippi State (12-11, 6-8 SEC) on Wednesday night in a 7 p.m. ET matchup at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville.  Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst) will have the call for the SEC Network broadcast, while Derek Scott (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (analyst) will have the call over the air on the Gamecock Radio Network. 

GAME INFORMATION
Arena: Humphrey Coliseum (10,575)
Broadcast: SEC Network
  Play-By-Play: Roy Philpott
  Analyst: Mark Wise
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
  In Columbia: 107.5 The Game
  Play-By-Play: Derek Scott
  Analyst: Casey Manning
  Sirius: – | XM: 192 | Internet: 963
Watch: WatchESPN/ESPN App
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
  Series: Mississippi State leads 24-16
  In Starkville: MSU leads 13-4
  Series Trend: The Bulldogs have won three of the last five meetings and three straight in Starkville
  Last Meeting: 75-59 Mississippi State win on Feb. 6, 2021, in Columbia

TIPOFF NOTABLES
> Carolina begins a two-game SEC road swing when it travels to face Mississippi State on Wednesday night in Starkville.  The Gamecocks aim for their first win at Humphrey Coliseum since the 2017 SEC regular season.
> MSU posted a 75-59 win over the Gamecocks in Columbia on Feb. 6, in the first matchup between the two schools this season.  Since then, the Bulldogs have gone 1-2, with home losses vs. LSU and Vanderbilt, and most recently a 66-56 road win at Ole Miss this past Saturday.
> Junior guard AJ Lawson poured in another 20-point performance with a game high 22, and sophomore guard Trae Hannibal and junior forward Keyshawn Bryant each added 15, but the Gamecocks suffered a 93-78 loss to No. 20/19 Missouri at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday.  The Tigers hit 57.6 percent from the field and held a 16-point halftime advantage in the win.
> Hannibal was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, with a pair of 3s, and also a 1-1 mark at the free throw line vs. the Tigers on Saturday.  He has hit a combined 9-of-13 (69.2%) in his last three outings.  He’s also connected on 21 straight free throw attempts.  
> Lawson is now eighth in Carolina history with 155 made 3-point field goals in his career and he is 36th all-time with 1,096 career points following his team high 22 points vs. Mizzou.
> Carolina suffered a 93-73 loss at No. 19/20 Tennessee in mid-week action last Wednesday.  Junior guard AJ Lawson posted his eighth 20-point performance of SEC play with a team high 20 points, and Keyshawn Bryant and TJ Moss each added 15, but the Vols hit 54.2 percent from the field, and were fueled by a 29-point effort by Victor Bailey Jr. in the home win.  
> The Gamecocks pulled to within five of the Rebel lead with 17 seconds to play, but Ole Miss guard Devontae Shuler blocked a Gamecock shot attempt, and then sealed the win with a pair of free throws at the opposite end, as the Rebels posted an 81-74 win at Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 13.  
> Junior guard AJ Lawson scored 22 vs. Ole Miss, his seventh 20-point performance in SEC play this season.  He connected on four 3-pointers, his ninth game this season (overall games) with three or more makes from beyond the arc.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
> Mississippi State is 12-11 overall and holds a 6-8 mark in SEC games.
> The Bulldogs are led by head coach Ben Howland in his sixth season.
> In home games this season, MSU is 8-5, with a 2-5 mark in conference home games.
> Most recently the Bulldogs posted a 66-56 road win at Ole Miss led by Iverson Molinar’s 17 points.
> Molinar (16.9), D.J. Stewart Jr. (16.7) and Tolu Smith (12.8) average double-figure points for the Bulldogs this season, with Smith’s 8.3 rebounds a team high.  Senior forward Abdul Ado adds 6.2 rebounds per game.
> Ado’s 1.78 blocked shots per game is fourth in the SEC and 46th nationally.  As a team, MSU is 37th in the nation with 4.5 blocks per game.
> Smith’s six double-doubles on the year are an SEC high, and his 3.39 offensive rebounds per game pace the SEC and rank 21st nationally.

GAMECOCK NOTES TO KNOW
> Head coach Frank Martin is in his ninth season leading the Gamecocks in 2020-21.  He is joined by assistant coaches Will Bailey, Chuck Martin and Bruce Shingler, while Andy Assaley is the director of operations for the squad.
> Martin is 34-50 (.404) against ranked opponents as a head coach. His teams have four wins over opponents ranked in the top five, and two wins over opponents who are ranked No. 1.
> The Gamecocks have hit double-digit conference victories in four of the last five seasons (11 in 2016, 12 in 2017, 11 in 2019, and 10 in 2020).
> A pair of Gamecocks collected preseason honors from both the media and SEC coaches during the preseason.  Junior guard AJ Lawson earned preseason All-SEC Second-Team accolades from the media, while Lawson (First Team) and Couisnard (Second Team) were honored by the SEC coaches on the preseason teams.
> Junior guard AJ Lawson is Carolina’s top returning scorer after pacing the team with 13.4 points per game last season.  
> Five who started the majority of SEC games last season return to the court for Carolina.  Lawson, sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard, who paced the team in league play at 12.1 points per game, junior forward Keyshawn Bryant, junior forward Justin Minaya (missed nine SEC games due to injury last season) and junior forward Alanzo Frink.  
> From last season, the biggest absence from the lineup will be graduated four-year starter Maik Kotsar.  Kotsar had a career year, averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while also leading the Gamecocks in blocks (1.1 per game) and steals at 1.5 per outing in 2019-20.  Kotsar, who was a starter during his rookie season on Carolina’s 2017 Final Four squad, also played a team high 30.4 minutes per game a year ago.
> R-sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard led Carolina with 20 points in the win vs. Tulsa (Nov. 29).  It marked the third 20-point outing of his career.  
> Junior guard AJ Lawson was named to the Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team after a pair of double-figure scoring outings at the event.  Lawson led the Gamecocks with 12 vs. Liberty (Jan. 28), before a 17-point outing behind four 3s in the win over Tulsa.  On the weekend, Lawson was 6-of-13 (46.2%) from range, while also dishing out three assists and collecting three steals.
> The Gamecocks held a halftime lead on the road at No. 10 Houston (Dec. 5), however, the Cougars battled back in the second half and closed a 77-67 win.  Junior forward Justin Minaya hit all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and led Carolina with 13 points in the loss.  
> South Carolina returned to the court for the first time since Dec. 5 when it hosted Florida A&M on Jan. 2.  The contest marked the Gamecocks’ first game in 28 days due to a combination of positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the South Carolina program.
> The Gamecocks posted a 78-71 win over Florida A&M on Jan. 2 in their home opener, using a 9-2 run over the final five minutes to secure the win.  Junior guard AJ Lawson’s then-career high nine made field goals saw him post a team best 25 points in the win, sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard added 15, and junior forward Justin Minaya posted his first double-double of the season with 10 points and a team high 10 rebounds.  The Gamecocks had nine players available for the contest.  
> Carolina opened SEC play on Jan. 6 with a 78-54 win over visiting Texas A&M at Colonial Life Arena.  Junior guard AJ Lawson scored a career high 30 points in the win, R-sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard added 15 points and sophomore forward Wildens Leveque scored a season high 10 points for the Gamecocks.
> Carolina held a four-point lead at halftime of its matchup at LSU behind 18 first-half points from junior guard AJ Lawson, but, the Tigers out-scored the Gamecocks 51-42 in the second half to close the home win on Jan. 16.  Lawson finished with 22, his third-straight game with 20+, and junior forward Keyshawn Bryant scored a career high 26 in the loss.
> Due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, assistant coach Chuck Martin, and Doug Edwards, who handles student-athlete development for the team, did not travel with the team to Baton Rouge on Jan. 16.  Assistant coach Bruce Shingler was the acting head coach for the matchup vs. the Tigers, along with assistant coach Will Bailey, video coordinator Brian Steele, and special assistant to the head coach John Reynolds.
> Missouri jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first three minutes of the Jan. 19 contest, and the Gamecocks weren’t able to overcome the early deficit in the 11-point loss to the 19th-ranked Tigers.  Missouri hit 58.3% from the field in the 81-70 win.
> Sophomore forward Trey Anderson had a breakout performance at Mizzou.  The San Diego native played a career high 25 minutes off the bench, hitting 7-of-9 from the floor, including a pair of 3s, en route to a career high 17 points.  His five rebounds were also a career best.
> Carolina and Auburn traded points early in the matchup at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 23, but Auburn used an 11-1 run to take a double-digit lead midway through the first half, and out-scored the Gamecocks the rest of the way in the win.  Junior forward Keyshawn Bryant continued his hot streak on the offensive end, leading Carolina with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field.  Classmate AJ Lawson matched his career high with six made 3-pointers vs. the Tigers, and r-sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard dished out a season high six assists.
> Anchored by a 19 point, 10 rebound double-double from junior forward Keyshawn Bryant, Carolina snapped a three-game losing streak with an 83-59 win over Georgia at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 27.  Jermaine Couisnard added an SEC season high 18 points, and sophomore guard Trae Hannibal dished out a career best six assists in the win.  
> The Gamecock defense was locked in from the start vs. Georgia, and held the Bulldogs to opponent season lows of 31.8 percent (21-66) from the floor, and 15.4 percent (4-26) from beyond the arc.  The Gamecock defense also forced 20 Georgia turnovers.
> Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead, and led for all but 57 seconds of the contest against South Carolina on Jan. 30 in Nashville in the 93-81 Commodore win.  The Gamecocks hit 50% of their attempts from the field, including 10 from beyond the arc, but Vandy responded with 13 made 3s, and a 22-of-27 mark at the free throw line.
> Junior guard AJ Lawson led Carolina with 21 points at Vandy, his fifth game this season with 20+, and he was also 3-of-9 from 3-point range, marking his seventh contest this season with three or more makes from beyond the arc.  
> South Carolina held Florida without a field goal for the final 6:37 of the contest, and used a 13-1 run during that final stretch to post a come-from-behind upset road win over the No. 22/23 ranked Gators on Feb. 3 in Gainesville.  Junior guard AJ Lawson scored 22 to pace the Gamecocks, and his eight rebounds were also a team best.  It was Carolina’s third-straight win in Gainesville.  
> Carolina out-scored Florida 50-30 in the paint, marking its highest point in the paint total of the season.  Senior guard Seventh Woods played a huge roll in that total, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor, with several of those made baskets in the lane.  His 12 points marked a season high.
> South Carolina suffered a 75-59 loss to Mississippi State on Feb. 6 at Colonial Life Arena.  The Gamecocks hit just 31.1 percent of their attempts from the floor (19-61), and the Bulldogs connected on 46.4 percent (26-56) in the win.  Carolina was also out-rebounded, as MSU held a 46-30 advantage on the glass.
> South Carolina jumped out to an early lead on No. 11/11 Alabama (Feb. 9), but the Crimson Tide battled back to take a three-point lead into the halftime break.  The contest featured five lead changes and seven ties, but the Crimson Tide clinched the win with a pair of free throws from James Rojas with two seconds to play.
> The Gamecock defense forced 22 Alabama turnovers, and held the Crimson Tide to just 38.2 percent from the field, but Alabama hit 12 3s, compared to Carolina’s six, and UA added 17 at the free throw line.

ODDS AND ENDS
> A couple random notes and factoids …
  – Four Gamecocks have at least 120 career assists, led by Seventh Woods with 174, AJ Lawson (164), then Jermaine Couisnard (145) and Justin Minaya (127)
  – Lawson has 14 double-figure scoring games this season with 10 of those 20+
  – Prior to its contest vs. Mississippi State, in its previous three games, Carolina made at least 31 field goals in each, with a season high 33 in the home win vs. Georgia (Jan. 27)
– Among the SEC’s active career leaders, Lawson is third in scoring (1,096) and fifth in steals (93)

MINAYA STRONG ON THE GLASS
> R-junior forward Justin Minaya is having a career year on both ends of the floor this season.  Minaya paces the Gamecocks with 6.7 rebounds per contest, which is +1.4 rebounds per game over his career average.  He has three double-doubles on the year, and also paces the Gamecocks with 2.87 offensive rebounds per game, which is fourth in the SEC and 57th nationally.
> In strictly SEC games, Minaya’s 6.6 boards per game is ninth in the conference.  He has two double-doubles in league games, and pulled down a season best 11 rebounds at No. 19 Mizzou (Jan. 19).

BY THE NUMBERS
35.5 – The South Carolina duo of AJ Lawson (19.4) and Keyshawn Bryant (16.1) average a combined 35.5 points per SEC game this season, which is the third-ranked tandem in league play behind LSU’s Cameron Thomas and Trendon Watford (38.7) and Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. and Dylan Disu (36.3).
16.56 – The Gamecocks are forcing 16.56 opponent turnovers per game (overall games), which is third in the SEC, and 22nd nationally.  
4 – Junior guard AJ Lawson hit four 3s vs. Mizzou last Saturday, marking his fourth straight game with at least four 3-pointers.  He has 11 games this season with at least three makes from beyond the arc.
15 – Junior forward Keyshawn Bryant scored 15 points vs. Mizzou, marking his ninth double-figure scoring performance of SEC play this season.  He is averaging 16.1 points per league game, and has hit 50.4 percent of his attempts from the floor.

COMING UP NEXT
> The Gamecocks are back on the road on Saturday, traveling to face Georgia in a 1 p.m. ET matchup at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens.  The contest between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs is set for broadcast on the SEC Network.