Gamecocks Fight Through Slow Start Vs. Notre Dame To Remain Undefeated

South Carolina's men's basketball program remained undefeated despite slow starts in each half, beating Notre Dame 65-53.

Head Coach Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks head into Tuesday night looking to remain undefeated on the season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They would start both halves off slowly on the offensive end of the floor. However, South Carolina would ease their way into the game and found a way to win the game 65-53.

In the game's first 5-minute stretch, the Gamecocks struggled to shoot the ball, starting 0-4 from the floor with a couple of turnovers. While they could get to the free throw line early, where six of their first eight points came from, their first made shot from the floor would come seven minutes into the game. 

The most crucial part of the first half came between the 13:37 mark and 7:31 mark, where the Gamecocks would go on a 13-2 run. Guard Meechie Johnson played a huge role in that stretch, hitting both of his threes and being the first Gamecock to double digits in the game. Johnson would continue playing a significant role for Carolina, scoring 15 points heading into the half.

Meechie Johnson celebrating after hitting a big three (Feb 22nd, 2023) / Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina had another slow start coming out of halftime, again getting their first made basket at the 15-minute mark in the second half. Like the first half, however, the Gamecocks were able to get to the free-throw line when they drive the lane, where they would go 5-6 from the line in that stretch.

At one point in the game, South Carolina had only four players that registered a made shot from the floor, which typically would be a cause for concern. However, the gamecocks managed to fight through this for most of the game, finding a way on the defensive end of the floor where they would hold Notre Dame to only one point over six minutes.

The story of the second half continued to be the play from Meechie Johnson, who picked up where he left off in the first half, finishing the game with 29 points. Coming into this game, when we looked at Notre Dame by the numbers, we knew that the defense would and could play a tremendous role in the game's success. Coach Paris and the Gamecocks defense would do just that, holding the Irish to their season-low of 53 points.

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