Muss’ crew hits a wall against S. Carolina

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In their first meeting the South Carolina Gamecocks burned the Arkansas Razorbacks on three-pointers, hitting 9 of 18 on their way to a win. They were just 3 of 15 from beyond the arc on Thursday.

They didn’t need them as they bulled their way past the Hogs 80-66.

South Carolina scored 52 points in the paint, highlighted by seven dunks and 14 layups. The Gamecocks scored 17 points off turnovers and 19 from 12 offensive boards as they dominated the Razorbacks in the second half.

Sure, after playing an overtime game on Wednesday night the Hogs hit a wall, but if not for 34 points from the bench, led by Makhi Mitchell’s 15 and Jalen Graham’s 11, it could have been much worse.

In the first half the Razorbacks competed. There were four ties and 13 lead changes.

Arkansas led 11-3 when Trevon Brazile got his second foul just four minutes into the game, and with him on the bench the Gamecocks started pounding it inside. He had six points at that point and finished with eight.

They went back and forth battling for the lead until the final 2:15 when the Razorbacks suffered three straight turnovers and the Gamecocks scored six points. South Carolina then scored the first 10 in the second half.

Arkansas rallied to within 53-47 with 10:25, but over the next two minutes the Hogs gave up two more turnovers and South Carolina led 6049. The Razorbacks were struggling so badly Coach Eric Musselman lost his cool with 7:08 to play and after the Gamecocks made the technical free throws it was 64-49. From that point it was just a matter of the final buzzer sounding.

The loss leaves Arkansas at 16-17 for the season, the first losing record for Musselman as a college head coach. In fact it was the first time in his nine seasons his team didn’t win at least 20 games.

Now he faces another reloading as six players are out of eligibility, another didn’t make the trip to the SEC Tournament and a couple of others most likely will test their NIL value in the transfer portal.

At least one may declare for the NBA.

Depending on how Musselman decides to look at the situation, it might be a golden opportunity.

The team never seemed to have a great chemistry and some didn’t embrace defense like they needed.

The SEC coaches voted 17 players to its All-conference first and second teams and the Associated Press 11. None of them were Razorbacks.

Going 6-12 in SEC play obviously didn’t help.

It has been a disappointing season for a team that opened the season ranked No. 14 in both the AP and coaches polls. One filled with rumors, innuendos and harsh whispers.

An odd season when Khalif Battle went from averaging a little more than 10 points to scoring at almost 30 per game the final six going into the game Thursday when he had 20 to lead the Hogs and played all 40 minutes.

A frustrating season when you beat Duke at Walton Arena but lose five conference games that started with the worse loss in the arena’s 30-year history — 83-51 at the hands of Auburn. Plus the loss at home to North Carolina — the one in Greensboro, not Chapel Hill — the latter of which the Hogs lost to in the Bahamas.

A confusing season when you play Kentucky and Alabama so close you could have won, but also lose to Vanderbilt in the Basketball Palace of the Midwest.

A season that started with so much hope and too many expectations ended Thursday at the hands of South Carolina which went over, around and through the Razorbacks, especially in the second half when they suffered eight turnovers and couldn’t handle the Gamecocks in the paint.