More difficult than it needed to be, but what else would you expect from the rivalry?

The South Carolina and Clemson men’s basketball teams entered Tuesday night’s game with two games decided by a total of seven points in the last two years. But in the third act Lamont Paris era, they took it to another level.

Clemson’s Chase Hunter hit an unbalanced 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime after the Gamecocks led by seven points with less than two minutes left, but South Carolina rallied for a 91-pointer in overtime. 88 victory, securing his biggest win of the season I have been successful so far this season and emerged victorious in what turned into a tough exchange of blows at the end.

South Carolina (8-3) had a seven-point lead with less than two minutes left in overtime. But just like in the regular season, Clemson (9-3) bounced back. The Tigers cut the deficit to two points and were down two points with a chance to potentially even steal the game on the final possession. When Christian Reeves committed a foul Nick Pringle To foul the Gamecock big time, he became the fifth player in the game to be disqualified on a whistle-happy evening. He had two free throws with a chance to force double overtime.

With only 3.7 seconds left, he chased the first attempt back and forth. And while he tried to intentionally miss the second ball to ensure a chance for a rebound, he took advantage of it. Jamarii Thomas secured the ensuing inbound.

A heated, wild rivalry game reached its boiling point with a hard-fought second half and intense back-and-forth play, a tightly controlled affair that saw a total of 44 fouls and both coaches dodging foul balls all night. South Carolina (8-3) Collin Murray Boyles And Zachary Davis both had four goals at the start of the second half. Clemson (9-3) starter Viktor Lachin And Ian Schiefelin Both were fouled and the highlight of the game was an ejection.

With 12:46 minutes left in the second half, Clemson’s Dillon Hunter South Carolina’s Morris Ugusuk headbutted under the basket while going for a rebound. He was assessed two flagrant fouls and an immediate ejection, a play that forced the Tigers to play down three starters after Lakhin and Schieffelin fouled out. This play was a battle on fire that this game hardly needed, but it took things to another level. A packed Colonial Life Arena with a courtside crowd Shane Beamer And Dawn Staley watched the two opponents trade haymakers for most of the second half.

In a volatile game, some distance seemed to finally be gained as the Gamecocks went on a 9-0 run to take a 76-69 lead with less than two minutes left, but then Chase Hunter was forced out. The Clemson point guard went on a personal 6-0 run with consecutive 3-pointers and almost immediately changed the entire tenor of the game.

And with a lead of 79-77 and 10.5 seconds left, Jacobi Wright missed two free throws that almost iced the game. Myles mare saved it with an offensive rebound and brought the ball safely to Thomas, who was of course fouled a few moments later. Thomas split the pair up to leave the door open, and then two Gamecocks had the opportunity to grab Clemson point guard Chase Hunter in a situation where a foul on three players would have prevented a look.

No foul, a clean look and a draw.

But in overtime, South Carolina regrouped and wore down the Tigers, even after Murray-Boyles and Pringle both fouled out, Ugusuk knocked down a 3-pointer, Wright and Thomas both had strong pushes for layups, and more Hunter- Showing heroics wasn’t enough to deny the Gamecocks.

**************************************************** *********************

Would you like to continue the conversation? Join us in the Insider Forum to talk all things South Carolina men’s basketball.