The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 17, 1974, Image 9
USC E
BY BOB ODOM
Sports Writer
While most Carolina students
were enjoying the semester break,
USC's basketball team was busy
improving its national ranking by
winning five games, including a
last-second 60-58 victory over
Marquette.
The Gamecocks not only par
ticipated in the first
Louisville Classic, which featured
two other nationally-ranked teams,
Alabama and Louisville, but met
several other outstanding teams
including highly-respected Texas
Tech and then sixth-ranked and
undefeated Marquette.
Carolina is now ranked 11th by
the Associated Press' latest poll
and 13th by the United Press In
ternational listings.
The Gamecocks, who were 4-0
before the break and ranked as
high as 13th, saw their record dip to
4-2 as they lost two consecutive
games on the road to Indiana and
Alabama. Carolina dropped an 84
71 decision to Indiana, a game they
were in until the final moments,
and then dropped a disappointing
two-point decision to Alabama in
the opening round of the Louisville
Classic.
However, Carolina bounced back
to trounce Eastern Kentucky 73-58
to claim third place in the tour
nament.
Even though Carolina failed to
win the tournament, it didn't go
away empty handed. Brain
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Winters' brilliant 28-point per
formance against Eastern Ken
tucky, plus his fine floor play
against Alabama, earned him a
spot on the All-Tournnament team.
The Gamecocks also received
praise from Alabama's Head
Coach C. M. Newton. After
Alabama defeated Louisville to
win the tournament,Newton said,
"South Carolina was definitely the
team to beat in this tournament.
They should have won the whole
thing."
The Gamecocks, who had per
formed impressively against
nationally ranked Indiana and
Alabama only to come away with
losses, were well aware of the need
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Carolina's
Mark Greiner was
the recipient of
Aaurice Lucas' chargir
foul which proved to
be the decisive factoi
in the Gamecock
victory over Marquetth
Carolina ran the cloc
to two seconds befor
Brian Winters sank th
winning basket in th
60-58 thriller.
to win all four games inciuaiiig
their clash with Marquette if they
had any hopes of reaching their
season goal of twenty wins.
Carolina lashed defending South
western Conference champion
Texas Tech 81-65, to set the stage
for the contest with Marquette.
Marquette entered the game
with an unblemished 10-0 record
and was ranked sixth by both
major polls. Carolina went into the
contest with a home win streak of
27 consecutive victories.
Ironically, the last home game
Carolina lost was to Marquette
back in 1972.
This year's contest featured all
the excitement of the game twc
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years ago, plus more. After
Carolina had mounted a 32-25
halftime lead, Marquette charged
back to knot the game at 45-45 and
then take a 51-46 lead before the
Gamecocks fought back to take a
58-56 lead. Marquette tied the
game at 58-58 and had possession of
the ball with 29 seconds left when
Mark Griener drew a charging foul
from Marquette's Maurice Lucas
to give the Gamecocks one last
chance
Carolina called time out and set the
stage for the dramatic finish. As
the clock wound down to seven
seconds, Winters made his move.
He faked to his left, went right and
let a 16-foot jump shot go with only
its Season
two seconds remaining. an ue
ball caught was the bottom of the
net and the Gamecocks had upset
Marquette 60-58.
The Gamecocks extended their
win streak to five games by
defeating Lafayette and
Manhattan.
Coach Frank McGuire hesitates
to single out one person or any
single event when he talks about
the success of this year's team.
"It's just been a team effort. This
team couldn't win unless it was an
all-out team effort," McGuire said.
"Its either been Davis (Nate) or
Sherwood (Chuck) coming off the
bench to do a tremendous job.
When Griener hasn't started he has
come off the bench and got some
clutch points and rebounds. I am
really satisfied with the way these
boys have been playing. They have
really been battling their guts
out."
Mike Dunleavy agrees with his
coach. "We are together," he said.
"We have a lot of confidence in
each other and we don't rely on any
one man. We are a young team and
we have gotten together and we
know what we have to do to win and
we are doin'g it.
Dunleavy added, "It's just been
a team effort and every guy on this
team has done his part. Nate and
Chuck have done an excellent job
coming off the bench and Bob
Mathias and Alex English are
hitting the boards real well. We
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