Box Score Game Book (pdf)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford men’s basketball team defeated South Carolina 68-61 on Saturday night at Benjamin Johnson Arena. Wofford erased a three-point halftime deficit and won over the Gamecocks for the first time since 1939.
Wofford is 6-6 overall, while South Carolina is 7-3. Noah Dahlman led the team with 19 points and eleven rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Jamar Diggs added 16 points and Junior Salters had 13. The Gamecocks were led by Devan Downey with 17 points. Brandis Ross-Raley added 14 points and Sam Muldrow scored ten, with both players pulling down six rebounds.
“We did it with two things that are most important to us on a nightly basis which is we have to take care of the ball and get a good shot every time and we have to rebound,” said head coach Mike Young. “We out-rebounded the University of South Carolina by ten which is enormous. Coach Horn and I are friends and I think our team played harder than South Carolina. Through their first eight games, South Carolina had outplayed and outworked each opponent that they played. I feel as good as you would expect when we beat our state university, a team that we had not beaten since 1939. We are going to enjoy it for a couple hours then get ready for Asheville.”
The game was tied at four when Wofford went on a quick 7-0 run that included five points by Junior Salters. The Gamecocks answered and the game was tied again at twelve at the 11:32 mark. The Terriers took a 21-17 lead at 8:58 after a three by Salters, and added two more with a basket by Noah Dahlman for a six point lead.
After Wofford had a 25-19 lead following a shot by Tim Johnson, the Gamecocks hit their next three straight three point shots for a 9-0 run and a 28-25 lead. Wofford was able to tie the game again at 31 before South Carolina hit a three by Evaldas Baniulis for a 34-31 lead at the half.
To open the second half, Wofford went on an 8-0 run that included four points by Jamar Diggs to take a 39-34 lead with 17:11 on the clock. The Gamecocks were able to tie the game again at 41 and take a 45-41 lead using a 7-0 run that ended at 14:10. Wofford tied the score at 45 and regained the lead at 48-47 after a three by Junior Salters at 11:52.
South Carolina countered with a basket by Austin Steed for a 49-48 lead, but it would prove to be their final lead of the night. Tim Johnson scored on a huge dunk with an assist by Brad Loesing for a 50-49 lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. A three by Cameron Rundles and a dunk by Terry Martin increased the lead to 55-49 two minutes later.
The Gamecocks cut the lead to two points on three occasions and were within one point at 59-58, but Devon Downey missed a free throw that could have tied it with two minutes left on the clock. Wofford ran off the next nine points to take a 68-58 lead with eight seconds to go as the Terriers made enough free throws down the stretch to keep the advantage. South Carolina hit a three in the final seconds, but it was not enough and Wofford came away with the 68-61 win.
Wofford shot 40.3% from the floor and 25.0% from behind the arc. From the free throw line, the Terriers were 60.9%. The Gamecocks shot 42.3% overall and were 40.9% from three. They were 66.7% from the line. Wofford had a 43-33 lead on rebounds, including a 22-11 edge on the offensive glass. With ten block by the Gamecocks, Wofford evened things out with eight steals as South Carolina had 16 turnovers.
Benjamin Johnson Arena was sold out (3500) for the second time in two years. It was the first win over the Gamecocks since a 33-31 win at Andrews Fieldhouse on February 17, 1939. South Carolina had won 23 straight in the series.
The Terriers will travel to UNC Asheville on Monday afternoon for a 12:30 pm game before taking a break for the holiday. Wofford will return to action on December 29 and 30 at the Cable Car Classic in Santa Clara, California.
