The Gamecocks suffered a rough loss to Wofford last night in Spartanburg, losing 68-61. My hat goes off to the Terriers for outplaying us. Wofford has to be stoked about this win; they've lost several close ones to high-profile opponents, so taking us out must feel like a delayed gratification that was worth the wait. As for us, we probably should have expected to lose a game like this at some point while Dominique Archie and Mike Holmes are out, and a road game against a tough, hungry in-state opponent was a bear trap. However, this is still a team that we should have beaten, and the loss--even if the NCAAs discount losses suffered while key players were injured--will still hurt us come tourney time. We need to regroup and go at least 3-1 over the next four games to take the sting off of this one.

I didn't get to watch or listen to this game, but here are a few thoughts based on the box score and recap:

• Perhaps the most surprising statistic in this game is that we got rocked on the offensive boards. Considering that Wofford started four guards--three of them at or under 6'2--losing the rebounding battle signals a breakdown in discipline while boxing out. That sort of breakdown, of course, is a classic element in a recipe for an upset. It's also characteristic of this team to some degree, as we have had problems with erratic play all season. The difference here is that we've always bounced back in past games.
• Two other big difference makers were that the Terriers got to the foul stripe 11 times more than we did and committed seven less turnovers.

That's a wrap for this game. At the end of the day, sometimes good teams suffer losses like this. The question is how they bounce back. Next up is Furman, who should give us a chance to regain our bearings.