Long-suffering South Carolina basketball fans finally got some joy on Friday. The No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks dominated the No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles, 93-73, led by Sindarius Thornwell’s 29 points.
South Carolina wins 1st NCAA tournament game since Richard Nixon was president
What a night for the Gamecocks.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
The most notable part of this game is that it’s the first time South Carolina has won an NCAA tournament game since 1973. That is an incredible 44-year span, which is so long that Richard Nixon was president the last time the Gamecocks won a tournament game.
South Carolina went on to the Sweet Sixteen in that 1973 tournament, and it’s been mostly downhill from there. Before 2017, the Gamecocks made the tourney just five times, going one-and-done every time. They did get something of a gift from the selection committee by getting to play the first round in Greenville, which is just over 100 miles from campus hometown Columbia. Those geographical advantages are usually reserved for the high seeds, so it raised a few eyebrows that a No. 7 seed got a backyard home game.
Still, the Greenville arena was rocking all night, and South Carolina finally broke a longtime winning drought. Enjoy this moment, Gamecock fans! Good luck with the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils in the second round.
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