COLUMBIA — The South Carolina men’s basketball team (1-0) continues non-conference action when it hosts Morgan State (1-2) on Friday night at Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks, led by first-year head coach Frank Martin, opened the season in thrilling fashion last Sunday, posting their 12th-straight win in a season opener after rallying from a 17-point deficit in the second half to earn an 82-75 overtime victory over Milwaukee in the opening round of the Hoops For Hope Classic in Columbia.
The Gamecocks freshman forward Michael Carrera collected 15 rebounds in his debut in the Garnet and Black vs. Milwaukee on Sunday. It marked the most rebounds in a game for a South Carolina player since Sam Muldrow collected 16 at Tennessee on Feb. 6, 2010.
Junior guard Brenton Williams continues to impress off the bench for Carolina. The Kissimmee, Fla., native scored 14 points in 13 minutes — including 12 points in three minutes of overtime vs. Milwaukee. Last season he led the team in points off the bench 12 times.
The Gamecocks held Milwaukee to just 38.8 percent from the field on 26-of-67 shooting but failed to hit a 3-point field goal, marking the first time that Carolina has not hit a 3 in a game since failing to connect from beyond the arc vs. Mississippi State on March 2, 2002, a span of 327 games.
The Morgan State Bears enter Friday’s game with a 1-2 overall record after three contests at the Old Dominion Tournament last weekend. Morgan State began its season with a 71-59 victory vs. Texas San Antonio, before suffering losses to ODU and Holy Cross.
Senior guard Anthony Hubbard paces the squad with 15.7 points per game, just ahead of senior forward DeWayne Jackson with 14.0 per outing and junior guard Justin Black with 12.0 per game. Hubbard’s 9.3 rebounds also are a team high.
The Bears were picked third in the 2012-13 MEAC Preseason Poll earlier this month, with Jackson earning preseason first-team honors.
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