Tigers in search of first SEC win against Gamecocks
Missouri Tigers head coach Kim Anderson has faced increased scrutiny as his team has gone 0-7 to begin SEC play.
No. 23 South Carolina responded to its first SEC loss in impressive fashion, a positive sign after last year's late-season meltdown cost it a trip to the NCAA tournament.
The Gamecocks have a chance to continue that momentum Saturday, when they travel to struggling Missouri. South Carolina has won six of seven while the Tigers have lost 11 in a row.
South Carolina (16-4, 6-1 SEC) shook off last week's loss at No. 5 Kentucky with an emphatic 98-69 win over Auburn on Tuesday. The Gamecocks' senior backcourt tandem of Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell combined for 49 points, and South Carolina knocked down 15 three-pointers in the rout.
The Gamecocks' resiliency is notable. Last season, after losing to Kentucky, South Carolina followed it up with a disappointing performance in road loss at Missouri. It was the beginning of a 3-4 finish to the regular season for coach Frank Martin's squad.
The uneven finish was followed by a first-round exit in the SEC tournament that helped keep the Gamecocks outside of the NCAA tournament field.
Thornwell, one of the top contenders for SEC Player of the Year, said a similar fade down the stretch isn't happening this year.
"We won't allow this team to lose any of the games we're not supposed to," Thornwell said after the Auburn win.
Saturday's game at Missouri certainly qualifies.
Missouri's third season under coach Kim Anderson has come off the rails. Heading into Saturday's game, the Tigers are 24-58 under Anderson, and his job security is in question.
Anderson downplayed any increased concern over his job, saying during an SEC media teleconference earlier in the month that "I don't really let that consume me."
For now, his team's performance remains the more pressing worry. Missouri (5-14, 0-7) struggles on both ends of the court. The Tigers are second-to-last in the conference in scoring, averaging 70.2 points per game. They're also near the bottom of the SEC in scoring defense. South Carolina leads the conference in scoring defense.
On the positive side, Missouri ranks behind only Kentucky in the conference in rebounding and may have an advantage on the backboards against the Gamecocks. South Carolina ranks 11th in rebounding in the 14-team SEC.
"We've got to grow up and I think over time we'll learn how to win, because I think (experience is) the missing component," Missouri sophomore forward Kevin Puryear told the Kansas City Star. "It's not the talent. It's not our effort. It's just making winning plays when we need to make them."
South Carolina senior guard Justin McKie, who knocked down three three-pointers and scored 13 points off the bench against Auburn, says the Gamecocks aren't concerned about Missouri's record.
"From watching them on film, they're scrappy. They'll fight," McKie said of the Tigers. "They're not going to back down from anybody, so we got to come ready to play."
This will be only the eighth meeting between the two teams. Missouri leads the all-time series 4-3. South Carolina has never won in three trips to Missouri Arena.
