South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris expressed great satisfaction with his team’s share-first mentality following their season-opening victory over North Carolina A&T. The Gamecocks, now 1-0, will look to maintain that unselfish approach as they prepare to take on Southern Miss (1-1) on Sunday in Columbia, South Carolina.
In their previous outing, every player who stepped onto the court for South Carolina recorded at least one assist, contributing to a total of 23 assists on 31 field goals during a commanding 91-72 win. Coach Paris praised his players, acknowledging that while he can promote the importance of teamwork, it ultimately falls on them to execute this philosophy during games. “They deserve a ton of credit for that,” he stated.
This cooperative effort resulted in five players scoring in double figures, with nine athletes contributing to the team’s 14 three-pointers. Meechie Johnson led the squad with 14 points, while Nordin Kapic added 13. Kobe Knox scored 12, and both Elijah Strong and Eli Ellis chipped in with 11 points. Four of these five athletes succeeded in making at least half of their field-goal attempts, highlighting their effectiveness and teamwork.
Kapic emphasized the importance of their selfless play, stating, “We’re a bunch of smart players. Moving the ball around, unselfish team, it’s all about what we want to do, and that’s going to make us win games.”
In contrast, Southern Miss is coming off a strong team performance, with 13 players contributing to a 93-57 victory over NAIA Tougaloo. Golden Eagles coach Jay Ladner noted the improved attributes of his team compared to last season, emphasizing their increased size, strength, and athleticism, along with a commendable willingness to learn and adapt.
Southern Miss, which began their season with an 85-79 loss to Buffalo, had four double-digit scorers in their recent game. Isaac Taveras, who led with 28 points against Buffalo, scored 16 points and secured 10 rebounds. The team also featured notable contributions from Felipe Patino, who tallied 18 points from six three-pointers, Israel Hart with 11 points, and Dalyn Brandon, who returned from a 617-day injury hiatus to score 10 points on perfect shooting.
Both teams are showcasing promising talents and teamwork as they head into their matchup, setting the stage for an exciting encounter in Columbia.