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Start time: 7pm | TV: SEC Network (Tom Werme, Kyle Macy) | Live Stream: WatchESPN.com
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia (Derek Scott, Casey Manning) | Live Audio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network
The Gamecocks are limping just a bit of late, especially following a loss to Clemson. They hope another in-state opponent - Division 2 Lander - can provide them with a little bit of an antidote headed into their final non-league contest against Memphis. It is only the second time these two teams have met (last one was in 1988).
We might have somewhat of a barometer for how this one will go since the Bearcats and Gamecocks have a common opponent: Clemson. The Tigers stormed past Lander as expected (105-49) in an exhibition contest on November 3. It’s been a little bit of a bumpy road, in fact, for the Bearcats; they’re 3-6, with three of those coming by five points or less. They’ve lost their last three by a combined fifteen points. (No disrespect intended, but if the Gamecocks end up in a close one tonight, well...)
Lander is led by top scorers JR Washington (18.9 ppg) and Rahu Purdie (14.9 ppg). Washington and Jarryd Coleman (a Charleston Southern transfer) are shooting at a pretty good clip from three-point range (36% and 37%, respectively), so the Gamecocks’ zone will be tested a little bit this evening. Defensively, the Bearcats allow just over 76 points a game, but that’s against D2 competition.