Gamecocks head to Myrtle Beach for Puerto Rico tip-off
BY: TYRIA GOINES
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — South Carolina travels to the beach this week for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach. Due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria to Puerto Rico, the event was relocated to the HTC Center in Conway. The Gamecocks begin Tournament action on Thursday versus Illinois State at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
South Carolina enters Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach action undefeated after posting wins over Wofford (73-52) and Western Michigan (78-60) to begin the 2017-18 campaign.
Junior forward Chris Silva has been a monster on the boards early this season, as he’s led the Gamecocks with 10 rebounds in each of the first two games. Junior guard Hassani Gravett battled foul trouble in the first half vs. Western Michigan on Monday, but returned in the second half to post 13 points in the stanza to reach 15 for the game, a career high.
Gamecock head coach Frank Martin is just two wins away from capturing his 100th win as head coach at South Carolina.
South Carolina was 9-4 in neutral site contests over the course of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns. Thursday’s matchup vs. Illinois State marks the Gamecocks’ first at a neutral site this season.
South Carolina aims to continue its winning ways when it faces Illinois State on Thursday in the first of three games at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach this week. Four Gamecocks scored in double-figures in Monday’s win over Western Michigan, led by Gravett’s career high 15. Graduate transfer Frank Booker added 14, connecting on five shots, including three 3s. Booker paces the Gamecocks early with 13.0 points per game.
The South Carolina offense has been very balanced to begin the 2017-18 campaign, as four have scored in double figures in both games thus far, and nine Gamecocks registered points vs. Wofford and again vs. Western Michigan.
South Carolina will face either Boise State or UTEP in the second round of action at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach on Friday. The Gamecocks are 0-1 all-time vs. the Broncos, having suffered an 80-54 loss to Boise State at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in December 2013, while the Gamecocks are 1-0 all-time vs. UTEP, having posted a 67-64 win over the Miners on Dec. 28, 1989, competing in the Sun Carnival Classic in El Paso.
