Jason Shoot-News Herald-USC Salkehatchie Sports Information~PANAMA CITY — The only time the lead was safe was after the game’s final buzzer.
South Carolina-Salkehatchie survived a triple-overtime battle of attrition with Gulf Coast Thursday night, securing a 125-122 victory over the host Commodores in the Gulf Coast Holiday Classic at the Billy Harrison Field House.
The Indians’ Randall Black fired in a go-ahead 3-pointer to give his team a 124-122 lead with 16 seconds left. Gulf Coast’s Jose Rodriguez, who poured in 37 points, missed a heavily contested 3-pointer in the game’s waning seconds.
Gulf Coast fell to 8-6 with the loss. The Commodores will face Aiken Tech Friday at 4 p.m. during the tournament’s second day.
Marcus Humose produced a three-point play to give Gulf Coast a 122-121 lead with 43 seconds left, but GC couldn’t generate another point offensively. After Salkehatchie regained the lead, Joe Mondo made a free throw with 1.9 seconds left to provide the final margin.
“Salkehatchie did a great job making shots,” GC coach Jay Powell said. “We made some big plays, but when it came down to it, they made big shots. They deserve all the credit for that.”
GC trailed by seven (114-107) with 30.7 seconds left in the second overtime before staging a remarkable rally to extend the game. Alan Love was fouled on a putback and converted the three-point play to pull the Commodores within 114-110.
Leonard Smith scored a bucket and was fouled with 14 seconds left. He missed the ensuing free throw, but the ball ricocheted off an Indians player and rolled out of bounds. After GC’s Terrence Townes had his shot blocked, a mad scramble for possession of the ball ensued. GC missed a pair of putback attempts before Leonard Smith tied the game at 114-114 with 4.1 seconds left.
Gulf Coast led 80-78 with five seconds left in regulation when the Indians’ Emilio Parks corraled a pass at halfcourt, where he was smothered immediately by GC’s Roland Brown. Needing desperately to get a shot in the air, Parks threw the ball haphazardly toward the basket, where Washington was positioned perfectly to collect it and quickly score a layin with four-tenths of a second left on the clock to send the game to overtime.
Jimmy Givens and Quincy Washington scored 31 and 30 points, respectively, for the Indians. Teammates Robert Brown and Torrance Outing posted 15 points apiece.
Following Rodriguez’s lead offensively, Alan Love scored 20 points and was one of six Commodores to score in double figures. Terrence Townes had 16 points, Chad Frazier 15, and Roland Brown and Smith 10 apiece.
Gulf Coast spent more than half of the game (26 minutes total) shooting free throws in a bonus situation, but the Commodores didn’t capitalize fully at the foul line. GC made 34 of its 53 free throw attempts (64 percent). The Indians made 31 of 48 (64.5 percent). The teams combined for 72 fouls, and nine players fouled out.
"This was the most points one of my teams have scored since I have been at USC Salkehatchie. We jumped out 8-0 to start the game but we got lazy and didn't execute. I was proud of the way we never gave up in the game. We will build on this and move forward, it was a great win for the program," said USC Salkehatchie head coach Travis Garrett.
USC-SALKEHATCHIE (125) — Hargrove 0 0-0 0, Mondo 0 1-2 1, Rob. Brown 2 11-13 15, Outing 2 11-13 15, Walker 1 0-0 2, Givens 10 6-11 31, Rushing 0 0-0 0, Lytes 0 0-2 0, Q. Washington 9 9-12 30, Black 6 0-0 16, Parks 5 2-3 12, B. Smith 1 0-1 3. Totals 40 31-48 125.
GULF COAST (122) — Townes 6 2-3 16, Humose 3 1-2 9, Reynolds 1 3-8 5, Rodriguez 13 10-12 37, D. Smith 0 0-0 0, Frazier 4 6-9 15, Love 6 8-13 20, Rol. Brown 4 2-4 10, Kpan 0 0-0 0, L. Smith 4 2-2 10. Totals 41 34-53 122.
Halftime: Gulf Coast 36, USC-Salkehatchie 30. End of regulation: Gulf Coast 80, USC-Salkehatchie 80. End of first overtime: Gulf Coast 95, USC-Salkehatchie 95. End of second overtime: Gulf Coast 114, USC-Salkehatchie 114. Three-point goals: USCS 14 (Givens 5, Black 4, Q. Washington 3, Brown, B. Smith), GC 6 (Townes 2, Humose 2, Rodriguez, Frazier). Total fouls: USCS 38, GC 34. Fouled out: Rob. Brown, Lytes, Q. Washington, Parks, B. Smith, Townes, Reynolds, Frazier, Love.
