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Men's Basketball

Bulldogs Fall Short To Gamecocks 80-69

Hezekiah records fifth double-double of the season

Junior center Matthew Hezekiah led the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
Box Score COLUMBIA, S.C. – Junior center Matthew Hezekiah tossed in a game-high 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, as South Carolina State (4-10) fell short, 80-69 of knocking off SEC foe South Carolina (10-3) on Saturday afternoon at the Colonial Life Arena.
         “I have to give our guys credit they hung in there and didn't give up down to the very end,” said SC State head coach Tim Carter. “It really hurts you when you are missing two starters that could have helped us tonight, but we get those guys back in time for conference so we just have to keep improving.”
         Both teams playing in their final non-conference contest of the year, battled from start to finish with Hezekiah scoring six of the first eight for the Bulldogs jumping out early 10-2 and held an advantage for more than half of the first half.
          Four Gamecocks reached double figures in the effort, with senior forward Lakeem Jackson tallying 16 to lead the way, while junior guard's Brian Richardson scored 15 and Brenton Williams recorded 14. Sophomore guard Damien Leonard added 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds in his first start of the season.
         The Gamecocks finally took a lead at 21-19 with 7:20 remaining before halftime when Mindaugas Kacinas put back a Jackson miss. Hezekiah drained a jumper to put the Bulldogs back up 21-20, the last lead of the day for South Carolina State.
            South Carolina scored eight unanswered to take control of the game. The spurt started with the first of Leonard's two 3s in the final five minutes of the half and ended with a drive to the basket by Smith. The run expanded the South Carolina advantage to seven at 28-21.
Kacinas scored on a tip in at the buzzer to send South Carolina to the locker room with a 37-29 upper hand.
           The second-half the Gamecocks took full control scoring on their first five possessions to claim the lead 45-3. South Carolina stretched the lead going up 13, 50-37 at the 14:48 mark. SC State broke their scoring drought sparking an 11-4 run to cut the lead to six, 54-48 with 2:52 remaining in the game.
          The Bulldogs rally came up short, pulling no closer than six, when the Gamecocks rattled off an 8-2 run to go ahead double-digits. Brenton Williams scored two straight baskets, the second of which was a successful three-point play.
        Brain Richardson tossed in a pair of free throws to give South Carolina their largest lead of the game a 14-point lead, 77-63. In the final 3:01 of the game, the Bulldogs could not get closer than nine and the Gamecocks held on to an 80-69 victory.
    Junior guard Adama “Louis” Adams finished with 12 points, going perfect from the line hitting 8-of-8 on the night. Freshmen Darryl Palmer and Patrick Myers each had solid nights in the loss. Palmer tossed in eight points and grabbed six rebounds, while Myers chipped in 9 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
      South Carolina State will return to action on next week when they travel to Baltimore, MD take on Morgan State in a pivotal MEAC doubleheader on Saturday. Jan 12. Tip-off is 4 p.m.

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