Four takeaways: South Carolina edges out ECU for big road win

In what was a challenging game from start to finish, South Carolina found a way to survive. The Gamecocks pulled off a close one, winning 68-62 over a gritty East Carolina team.

Let’s break this game down.

Defense makes impact in final minute

For most of the day, East Carolina shot well offensively and played with much more aggression than the Gamecocks. It led to more rebounds and extra possessions.

But with the game tied in the final minute, the Pirates went cold and didn’t score. As a result, South Carolina ended the game on a 6-0 run to escape with the win. Zachary Davis was able to ice the game with a steal in the final few seconds.

Davis had a great day on the floor, finishing with nine points, five rebounds and the steal.

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Finding a way in a tough environment

At multiple points in this game, South Carolina owned a big lead, only for the Pirates to erase it later on. And it didn’t help that the fans, who were very loud, were on top of the Gamecocks all game long.

But despite all the chants and even trolling South Carolina with a cameo video from Spencer Rattler, the team persevered. They weathered the storm and got the job done. It wasn’t their best shooting day nor defensive day, but they stepped in the final few minutes to get the win.

All things considered, coming home 1-1 on the road trip is fine. Bigger picture: South Carolina is now 8-1.

Meechie does it again

The Pirates did a great job of containing Meechie Johnson in the first half on Saturday. He only had two points on 1-of-2 shooting. But they could only keep him in check for so long, especially with others around him shooting well.

After the break, Johnson scored 13 points, including a 7-0 run he went on by himself to give his team the lead with under three minutes to play. He finished shooting 5-of-8 from the floor and 1-for-4 from three-point range.

It wasn’t his best game, but he still proved he could flip the switch at any given moment. He’s already looked more impressive than he did last year. And a lot of that comes down to how much more consistent he’s playing.

Hit enough free throws to squeak it out

South Carolina could’ve been a lot better shooting free throws on Saturday. There were too many times when it needed to hit one and missed. But with the game tied at 62, the Gamecocks made 6-of-8 free throws in the final 40 seconds to win.

Overall, they went 17-for-24 from the line, which is barely over 70 percent. But take out the final minute of free throws, and South Carolina went 11-for-16 before then. If it had hit more of them then this game might’ve turned out differently and not been so close. However, a win is a win.

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