FAYETTEVILLE -- The South Carolina Gamecocks opened the week sharing first place in the SEC with Kentucky and Florida while LSU lagged last.
Yet to the Arkansas Razorbacks, some problems besetting them tonight from Coach Frank Martin's Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C., beset them Saturday from LSU in Baton Rouge.
Arkansas, 18-7 overall and 7-5 in the SEC, plays the Gamecocks (20-5, 10-2) at 5:30 p.m. on the SEC Network at Colonial Arena.
At LSU, the Razorbacks rallied from down 14 in the first half to defeat LSU 78-70.
LSU dominated the first half with great team rebounding paced by LSU guard Antonio Blakeney's 11 boards plus 10 points.
Although outrebounded 50-30 for the game, Arkansas wasn't as nailed on the second-half boards.
"I thought the first half we were so spread out we didn't do a good job putting body on body against a very athletic LSU team," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "I thought in the second half, we did a much better job of really cutting down on their second-chance points and keeping them off the offensive boards. But it's still a concern."
It had better be. The Gamecocks outrebound their opponents 930-889 compared to Arkansas' 910-894.
"They will throw it up there and go get it," Anderson said. "We're going to have to match their physicality on the boards and keep them out of the lane."
Blakeney continued scoring in the second half, adding 11 to finish with 21 points, but Arkansas mostly thwarted the other Tigers in the last 20 minutes.
South Carolina has more help and an experienced main man, 6-6 senior guard Sindarius Thornwell.
Thornwell on Monday was named SEC Player of the Week after averaging 36 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3 assists in his past two games, an four-overtime loss to Alabama at home and Saturday's victory at Mississippi State.
Should Thornwell, averaging 20.8 points and 7.5 rebounds, be an SEC Player of the Year candidate?
"He'd better be," Martin said. "If not there is something wrong with the people that vote. He plays weak guard, point guard, small forward and power forward, and defends against the best player on the other team. Tell me somebody else in the country let alone in the conference that does that."
The fierce defense that Thornwell and his fellow Gamecocks play marks most of the first and last place separation between South Carolina and LSU.
But Martin sweats his defense vs. Arkansas' three-point shooting guards Dusty Hannahs, Daryl Macon, Jaylen Barford and Anton Beard, plus perhaps an unknown shooter.
Each nailing 5 of 10 vs. South Carolina, unheralded reserve guards Avery Johnson Jr. of Alabama and Tyson Carter of Mississippi State stunned Martin with their spree of threes.
"We have got to do a better job of identifying reserves that don't do a lot of scoring." Martin said. "The last two games we've been burned."
Sports on 02/15/2017