Road Test at No. 19 South Carolina Next for @MizzouHoops

Opponent	Location	Day/Time	Media
at No. 19 South Carolina	Colonial Life Arena	Saturday, Jan. 16 12 p.m. CT	TV: SEC Network Radio: Tiger Network Online: WatchESPN \| Live Audio \| Live Stats Game Notes

#ZOUNotes

Mizzou Men's Basketball (8-8, 1-2) hits the road for its second road contest of its Southeastern Conference schedule, visiting No. 19 South Carolina (15-1, 2-1) on Saturday, Jan. 16, with a Noon CT tipoff scheduled on the SEC Network.
Head coach Kim Anderson's group has won 3-of-5 games heading into the road trip to South Carolina, seeking its first true road win of the 2015-16 season.
Freshman forward Kevin Puryear finished Mizzou's nonconference schedule averaging 11.8 points per game and has since averaged 13.7 points over the Tigers' three SEC games.
Puryear's scoring average ranks fourth in the conference for both overall and league totals. Additionally, his conference free throw percentage of 88.9 (16-of-18) ranks fifth in the SEC.
Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant has three blocks in as many league games played, adding to his team-high total of 20 for the season, overall.

Last Time Out

Mizzou dropped to 8-2 at Mizzou Arena this season with its 94-61 setback vs. Arkansas (Jan. 12).
Mizzou shot a season-high 87 percent (20-of-23) from the free throw line against Arkansas. It was the team's highest percentage from the charity stripe since they shot 93.9 percent (31-of-33) against Nevada on Nov. 29, 2013.
Freshman guard Terrence Phillips tied his career high with 16 points, the fourth double-digit figure scoring output of his Tiger career. He also tallied 16 against Northwestern on Nov. 24.
Phillips also set career bests in free throw makes (five) and attempts (six) in the contest.

Asked to Shoot, Phillips Delivers

An emphasis has been placed on Mizzou's guards to be able to make something happen when drawn-up plays break down or the shot clock becomes a factor. Freshman guard Terrence Phillips matched his season-high with 16 points vs. Arkansas (Jan. 12), equaling his effort vs. Northwestern (Nov. 24).
Phillips got his 16 points taking a season-high 14 field goal attempts. Only junior guard Wes Clark has attempted more field goals in a game this season with 16 vs. Illinois (Dec. 23) and 15 at Georgia (Jan. 5).

Isabell Trending Up

Sophomore guard Tramaine Isabell shot a career-high eight free throws against Arkansas (Jan .12), making a personal best seven as he scored seven of his nine points from the charity stripe.
Over his last two games, Isabell has scored 21 points for an average of 10.5 points per game. This comes after a four-game span the sophomore combined to tally 12 points for 3.0 points per game.

Close Calls with South Carolina Last Season

In head coach Kim Anderson's first season leading Mizzou, the Tigers battled South Carolina twice in tightly contested games, although ultimately yielding the games to the Gamecocks. Mizzou last played at Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 10, 2015, losing by a score of 65-60 after a back-and-forth second half. Anderson's group led by two points at the 16:59 mark after the break. After surrendering the lead, the Tigers closed South Carolina's lead to three points (51-54) with 2:55 left in the game.
At last season's SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., Mizzou drew South Carolina in its opening game on March 11, 2015. After trailing by six points at the halftime break, Mizzou tightened the game to a two-point USC advantage twice, at both 8:53 (47-49) and 6:42 (50-52). The Gamecocks eventually outlasted the Tigers to take a 63-54 result.

More About South Carolina

South Carolina (15-1, 2-1) bolted out to a 15-0 start under fourth-year head coach Frank Martin this season before suffering its first loss in its most recent contest, a 73-50 setback at Alabama (Jan. 13). The Gamecocks are balanced in scoring, with five players averaging between 11.9 and 10.5 points per game. Both junior guard Sindarius Thornwell and senior forward Michael Carrera have averaged 11.9 points per game through South Carolina's 16 games.
Through USC's three SEC contests, Thornwell has led the way with 14.3 points per game and has averaged 3.0 assists per game, as well.
South Carolina has been widely successful playing at home in Colonial Life Arena, boasting a 9-0 mark thus far. Notable home victories include Memphis (86-76, Jan. 2) and Vanderbilt (69-65, Jan. 9).

Schedule