Gardner-Webb @ South Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 25, 2008 ) Gardner-Webb 70, South Carolina 85

South Carolina hosts Gardner-Webb on Friday in the second on-campus game of the Cancun Challenge, and the challenge for the Gamecocks is rebounding from a subpar performance during Tuesday’s upset loss at home to Boston University. After winning its first three games by an average of 27.7 points, South Carolina shot 37.5 percent in the second half of the 78-70 defeat, and overall hit just 4-of-22 attempts from 3-point range while finishing 12-for-21 from the free-throw line.

“It’s the first time we’ve dealt with real adversity and we became a very quiet, in-our-feelings team,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin told reporters postgame. “We’ve got to grow up. I wanted to see who would take ownership on our team and, unfortunately, nobody did.” One area Martin has emphasized is rebounding and that hurt the Gamecocks on Tuesday, as the Terriers scored 18 points off 12 offensive rebounds. Sophomore guard A.J. Lawson scored 22 on 8-for-18 shooting from the field against Boston University and leads the Gamecocks in scoring at 17.5 points per contest. Gardner-Webb has lost its first four games by an average of 14.3 points, the latest at 74-52 loss Tuesday at Wichita State.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus

ABOUT GARDNER-WEBB (0-4): Sophomore swingman Jose Perez leads the team in scoring at 12 points, but the Bulldogs are averaging just 58.8 points on 38.4 percent shooting from the field. Junior guard Jaheam Cornwall scored a career-high 22 points against Wichita State on 7-for-11 shooting - hitting 6-of-8 shots from 3-point range. Gardner-Webb, which lost 77-61 at No. 4 North Carolina on Friday, will face Tennessee-Martin on Tuesday in Cancun.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (3-1): Lawson has heated up after scoring just 20 points in his first two games, finishing with 28 last Friday against Cleveland State before adding seven rebounds and five assists Tuesday. Junior guard Jair Bolden has reached double-figures scoring in three of his four games and is shooting 56.3 percent from the field, while senior forward Maik Kotsar finished with 14 points and seven rebounds Tuesday. South Carolina has limited opponents to 33 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. The Gamecocks are shooting only 58 percent from the free-throw line on the season.

2. After getting 34 points off the bench against Cleveland State, the Gamecocks reserves finished with only eight against Boston.

3. South Carolina will face Wichita State on Tuesday in Cancun, with a matchup the next day against either West Virginia or Northern Iowa.

PREDICTION: South Carolina 74, Gardner-Webb 60