Frank Martin’s South Carolina basketball team never backs down from a fight. They scratched and slapped and clawed, withstanding one Kentucky run after another until the Wildcats finally put them away with an 86-76 victory.
Kentucky had runs of 8-0, 7-0 and four 6-0 runs that would typically take a team out of the game. Not even the loud “GO BIG BLUE!” chants from the crowd at Colonial Life Arena could knock out the Gamecocks. Kentucky turnovers and South Carolina offensive rebounds kept them in the game, until Oscar Tshiebwe delivered the decisive blow with big bucket after big bucket in the second half.