Underneath the freshly revealed Final Four banner, South Carolina’s Chris Silva reminded Western Michigan’s Reggie Jones which was the better team Monday evening.
The Gamecocks beat the Broncos, 78-60, at Colonial Life Arena. Afterward, the backboard glass on one end was still intact.
Somehow.
The first half was nearing its finish when Jones made a steal and eased his way toward the rim. A layup and the Broncos, preseason favorites in the Mid-American Conference, would be in the lead.
But Silva, South Carolina’s preseason All-SEC player, wasn’t going to let things go that easily. The 6-foot-9, 223-pound freak of an athlete swatted Jones’ attempt with such ferocity, the basketball led Kory Holden on a break the other way.