Late free throws lift South Carolina past Georgia 61-55

AP
Mar 04, 2023

COLUMBIA (AP) Meechie Johnson scored 18 points and Jacobi Wright had 14 and the pair combined for five free throws in the last 3.6 seconds to give South Carolina a 61-55 win over Georgia on Saturday to close the regular season.

Johnson made 1 of 2 free throws with 7.6 seconds to go for a 56-53 lead for the Gamecocks, who chose to intentionally foul before the Bulldogs could attempt a tying 3-pointer.

Justin Hill converted the one-and-one for Georgia at 4.6 seconds - giving him 1,001 points for his career - but on the inbounds, as Terry Roberts fouled Wright, Roberts was given a technical for grabbing Wright's foot after the whistle.

Wright made three of the four free throws to make it 59-55 and Johnson was fouled on the ensuing possession with his free throws at 2.1 seconds making it the biggest lead for either team in the second half.

Hayden Brown scored 13 points for the Gamecocks (11-20, 4-14 SEC), who snapped a three-game losing streak with their first home SEC win. Josh Gray had 11 rebounds and Johnson had seven assists.

Roberts had 14 points for the Bulldogs (16-15, 6-12), who have lost five straight, and Braele Bridges had 12.

It was a fitting game for teams that will be the 11th (Georgia) and 12th seeds (South Carolina) for opening-round games of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday in Nashville, as well as teams that produced a close first game, won by the Bulldogs 81-78 in overtime to snap a 12-game losing streak in the series.

Johnson's layup to open the scoring in the second half tied it at 27 and then Georgia scored four. The teams traded baskets before the Gamecocks scored six and from the 16:24 mark neither team would lead by more than two until Johnson's free throw at 7.6 seconds.

UP NEXT

Georgia opens league tournament play against LSU on Wednesday. A win would pit the Bulldogs against Vanderbilt on Thursday.

South Carolina faces Ole Miss on Wednesday night in the opening round of the league tournament and the winner would face Missouri on Thursday.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

1st Half
UGA
Bulldogs
27
SCAR
Gamecocks
25

Time		Play	Score
20:00		Braelen Bridges vs. Josh Gray (Gamecocks gains possession)
19:48		Hayden Brown misses two point jump shot
19:46		Jailyn Ingram defensive rebound
19:21		Jailyn Ingram misses three point jump shot
19:19		Josh Gray defensive rebound
18:59		Jacobi Wright misses two point layup
18:57		Hayden Brown offensive rebound
18:54	+2	Hayden Brown makes two point dunk	0-2
18:44		Jailyn Ingram turnover (Josh Gray steals)
18:26		Hayden Brown misses three point jump shot
18:24		Bulldogs defensive rebound
18:13		Braelen Bridges turnover (Jacobi Wright steals)
18:07	+2	Meechie Johnson makes two point layup (Hayden Brown assists)	0-4
17:40		Kario Oquendo misses three point jump shot
17:38		Josh Gray defensive rebound
17:23	+3	Jacobi Wright makes three point jump shot (Meechie Johnson assists)	0-7
16:57		Kario Oquendo turnover (Jacobi Wright steals)
16:40		Gregory Jackson II misses two point layup
16:39		Bulldogs defensive rebound
16:11	+2	Jailyn Ingram makes two point jump shot	2-7
15:52		Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk misses two point layup
15:50		Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk offensive rebound
15:44		Frank Anselem blocks Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk's two point layup
15:42		Frank Anselem defensive rebound
15:38	+3	Mardrez McBride makes three point jump shot	5-7
15:23		Meechie Johnson misses two point layup
15:21		Terry Roberts defensive rebound
15:14		Hayden Brown shooting foul (Justin Hill draws the foul)
15:14		TV timeout
15:14	+1	Justin Hill makes regular free throw 1 of 2	6-7
15:14	+1	Justin Hill makes regular free throw 2 of 2	7-7
14:53		Meechie Johnson turnover (lost ball)
14:24	+3	Terry Roberts makes three point jump shot (Frank Anselem assists)	10-7
13:57		Josh Gray turnover (out of bounds)
13:40	+2	Terry Roberts makes two point jump shot	12-7
13:13	+2	Jacobi Wright makes two point jump shot	12-9
12:48		Terry Roberts turnover (Gregory Jackson II steals)
12:44		Gregory Jackson II misses three point jump shot
12:42		Terry Roberts defensive rebound
12:23		Mardrez McBride turnover (Zachary Davis steals)
12:19	+2	Zachary Davis makes two point dunk (Meechie Johnson assists)	12-11
11:49		Mardrez McBride misses three point jump shot
11:47		Josh Gray defensive rebound
11:38		Meechie Johnson turnover (Justin Hill steals)
11:38		Meechie Johnson flagrant 1
11:38		TV timeout
11:38	+1	Justin Hill makes regular free throw 1 of 2	13-11
11:38	+1	Justin Hill makes regular free throw 2 of 2	14-11
11:17		Jailyn Ingram misses three point jump shot
11:15		Jusaun Holt offensive rebound
11:09		Justin Hill turnover (Zachary Davis steals)
11:00		Josh Gray misses two point jump shot
10:58		Josh Gray offensive rebound
10:57		Frank Anselem blocks Josh Gray's two point layup
10:57		Gamecocks offensive rebound
10:49		Meechie Johnson misses three point jump shot
10:47		Jusaun Holt defensive rebound
10:33		Gregory Jackson II blocks Braelen Bridges's two point jump shot
10:31		Gregory Jackson II defensive rebound
10:02		Justin Hill personal foul
10:02		Gamecocks turnover (shot clock violation)
9:51		Tre-Vaughn Minott blocks Braelen Bridges's two point layup
9:49		Braelen Bridges offensive rebound
9:48		Zachary Davis blocks Braelen Bridges's two point layup
9:46		Zachary Davis defensive rebound
9:37		Zachary Davis misses three point jump shot
9:35		Eli Sparkman offensive rebound
9:19	+2	Tre-Vaughn Minott makes two point dunk (Meechie Johnson assists)	14-13
9:07	+2	Braelen Bridges makes two point layup (Terry Roberts assists)	16-13
8:37		Eli Sparkman misses three point jump shot
8:35		Jabri Abdur-Rahim defensive rebound
8:22	+2	Terry Roberts makes two point jump shot	18-13
8:04		Terry Roberts shooting foul (Meechie Johnson draws the foul)
8:04	+1	Meechie Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 3	18-14
8:04		Meechie Johnson misses regular free throw 2 of 3
8:04	+1	Meechie Johnson makes regular free throw 3 of 3	18-15
7:44		Terry Roberts misses three point jump shot
7:42		Hayden Brown defensive rebound
7:23		TV timeout
7:14		Jacobi Wright misses two point jump shot
7:12		Bulldogs defensive rebound
6:55		Mardrez McBride turnover (bad pass)
6:41		Gregory Jackson II misses two point jump shot
6:39		Mardrez McBride defensive rebound
6:33	+3	Mardrez McBride makes three point jump shot (Kario Oquendo assists)	21-15
6:13		Jacobi Wright turnover (Jusaun Holt steals)
6:09	+2	Jusaun Holt makes two point layup	23-15
5:49	+3	Gregory Jackson II makes three point jump shot	23-18
5:23		Terry Roberts misses three point jump shot
5:21		Josh Gray defensive rebound
5:06		Gregory Jackson II turnover (Frank Anselem steals)
5:02		Gregory Jackson II shooting foul (Mardrez McBride draws the foul)
5:02	+1	Mardrez McBride makes regular free throw 1 of 2	24-18
5:02	+1	Mardrez McBride makes regular free throw 2 of 2	25-18
4:45		Jacobi Wright turnover (Jusaun Holt steals)
4:29		Kario Oquendo misses three point jump shot
4:27		Jusaun Holt offensive rebound
4:12		Gregory Jackson II blocks Kario Oquendo's two point layup
4:10		Hayden Brown defensive rebound
3:51		Jacobi Wright misses three point jump shot
3:49		Hayden Brown offensive rebound
3:48		Frank Anselem shooting foul (Hayden Brown draws the foul)
3:48		TV timeout
3:48	+1	Hayden Brown makes regular free throw 1 of 2	25-19
3:48	+1	Hayden Brown makes regular free throw 2 of 2	25-20
3:22		Kario Oquendo misses three point jump shot
3:20		Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk defensive rebound
2:54	+2	Hayden Brown makes two point layup (Meechie Johnson assists)	25-22
2:43		Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk blocks Frank Anselem's two point jump shot
2:41		Jacobi Wright defensive rebound
2:19		Mardrez McBride personal foul
2:12		Gregory Jackson II misses two point jump shot
2:10		Josh Gray offensive rebound
2:09		Frank Anselem shooting foul (Josh Gray draws the foul)
2:09		Josh Gray misses regular free throw 1 of 2
2:09	+1	Josh Gray makes regular free throw 2 of 2	25-23
1:57		Mardrez McBride misses three point jump shot
1:55		Meechie Johnson defensive rebound
1:45		Josh Gray offensive foul
1:45		Josh Gray turnover (offensive foul)
1:21		Mardrez McBride turnover (Zachary Davis steals)
1:17		Gregory Jackson II misses two point dunk
1:15		Kario Oquendo defensive rebound
1:10	+2	Kario Oquendo makes two point layup	27-23
0:51	+2	Meechie Johnson makes two point layup	27-25
0:28		Braelen Bridges misses two point jump shot
0:26		Braelen Bridges offensive rebound
0:23		Josh Gray blocks Braelen Bridges's two point layup
0:21		Josh Gray defensive rebound
0:00		Mardrez McBride blocks Zachary Davis's two point layup
0:00		Gamecocks offensive rebound
0:00		End of period

Late free throws lift South Carolina past Georgia 61-55

1st Half UGABulldogs27SCARGamecocks25

1st Half
UGA
Bulldogs
27
SCAR
Gamecocks
25