Meechie Johnson will undergo concussion evaluation following LSU loss
Late in the second half against LSU, Meechie Johnson took a hit to the head causing him to be slow to get up. Johnson did not return to the game per concussion protocol and will undergo a concussion evaluation before retuning to the court.
“I haven’t heard anything, they are going to check him,” Head coach Lamont Paris said following the game against LSU. “He got hit in the head so we are checking him to see if it will end up being concussion protocol or whatever it will end up being.”
Against the Tigers, Johnson scored zero points and went 0-for-4 from the field. A concussion could be a major loss to the depth and strength of South Carolina moving forward.
No. 11 South Carolina loses to LSU at home
By: Peyton Butt
After a tough road defeat at Auburn earlier in the week, the Gamecocks struggled to get back on their feet and lost to LSU 64-63 at home in a close game. Overall, South Carolina wasn’t able to overcome early struggles and nerves to defeat the Tigers.
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How it happened
Trae Hannibal lead the Tigers in an aggressive style defense throughout the first half. As a result, the Gamecocks went on a scoring drought for over two minutes.
To snap the drought, Collin Murray-Boyles got the Gamecocks on the board and got momentum building. Going into the half, Murray-Boyles led the Gamecocks in points with eight. Halfway through the first half, South Carolina went on a 12-0 scoring run for over a three minute span to regain the lead.
Early on, South Carolina found a way to shake off the nerves and jitters improving ball passing and tightening up play but later the jitters returned. In the first half, South Carolina and LSU both found themselves with 22 rebounds.
Jacobi Wright was strong off the bench for South Carolina. In the first, Wright scored five points going 2-for-3 from the field and 1-for-2 from the three-point line.
BJ Mack also got a fire started for South Carolina in the first half, scoring seven points. Mack led the team with five rebounds in the first half.
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Mack turned the fire up for the Gamecocks in the second half. Altogether, Mack scored 18 points and nine rebounds and got the Gamecocks out of multiple sticky situations but it wasn’t enough.
“This is the first time all season I think we lost two in a row straight. Just making sure we learn from this moment. But it’s not a feeling that we want to have,” Mack said. “The goal is to win so going into practice, going into the film room just making sure we are all locked in and ready.”
Myles Stute went 2-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 from the three-point line, scoring six points. Fans were loud and on their feet in a close matchup.
Against his former team, Josh Gray played aggressive on defense and found a way to get the ball in difficult situations. Gray scored four points, three rebounds and three drives against the Tigers.
Adding to the loss, Ta’Lon Cooper struggled going 2-for-8 from the field and scoring just five points. Towards the end, South Carolina lost their momentum and drive giving up the lead.
“I was a little shell-shocked at some of the decisions, some of the decisions we were making and I’ll take some responsibility in that,” Head Coach Lamont Paris said. “Things maybe weren’t communicated in a manner where during that time, score and the late game all that, that we could process what we were trying to convey and the actions that we were trying to make happen.”
Starter Zachary Davis also improved after the first half. He scored two points in the first half and five in the second going 4-4 in shots.
At one point, the Gamecocks had a 16-point lead in the second half. But LSU came roaring back and managed to take the lead with five seconds to go. With one more chance to win the game, Jacobi Wright couldn’t connect on a corner three-point shot.
“It’s just disappointing that you have a game that’s still there to be won. Didn’t play great, did a good job defensively in the first half,” Paris said. “But I thought this was a game of a lot of situations that we just did not handle well.”
Related: South Carolina-LSU Box Score
Two observations
South Carolina rushed shots in the first half—Whether it was nerves from South Carolina’s loss against Auburn or tiredness, the Gamecocks rushed shots in the first half. As a result they shot 39.4 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from the three-point line in the first.
Meechie struggled—After showing signs of improvement, Meechie Johnson scored zero points against the Tigers and went 0-for-4 from the field.
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Key stat
18 points, 9 rebounds—BJ Mack led the Gamecocks in both points and rebounds in the loss to the Tigers. With some of his teammates struggling, Mack tried to step in and pick it up but ultimately couldn’t.
Turning point
Late in the second half, South Carolina lost momentum, strength and the lead. LSU shot 53.6 percent from the field in the second half leading to their victory.
Up next
The Gamecocks will travel to Oxford, Mississippi, to take on the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be available on SEC Network/107.5FM.
