By james art 
COLONIAL LIFE ARENA: Another game against a ranked SEC opponent, another heartbreaking loss for South Carolina. The Gamecocks battled back from a fourteen-point deficit in the second half to force overtime, but again the Gamecocks were unable to make the play that could have resulted in a win, and 14th-ranked Mississippi State escaped with a 65-60 victory in Columbia in Saturday afternoon.
The Gamecocks are now 0-7 in the SEC, their worst star in the league and the only winless team in the league. Five of the losses are against ranked teams and four are by five points or less.
USC could never find consistent shooting against the Bulldogs. The Gamecocks shot 5-25 (20%) in the first half and trailed 28-20. They heated up to 41 percent shooting in the second half, but made just one of six shots from the floor in overtime. The Gamecocks matched their second-lowest 29 percent shooting, the same mark they had in an earlier loss to Mississippi State.
Despite the shooting woes, the Gamecocks had a chance to win thanks to their rally late in the second half. Trailing 50-36 with 8:40 left, USC closed out the game with a 19-5 run sparked by Jamarii Thomas, who scored nine of his game-high 19 points in the comeback.
USC, which never led in the game, finally pulled within 55-55 on a steal and layup by Zachary Davis with :26 on the clock. Mississippi State ran down the clock on the final shot, which was a missed contested layup by Josh Hubbard.
In overtime with the game tied at 57 with 2:04 left, State made a pair of free throws and a Nick Pringle layup led to two more free throws and a 61-57 Bulldog lead. Thomas made one of two at the line after a State turnover to cut the lead to three with :13 to play.
Davis then committed another state turnover and fed Collin Murray-Boyles on the fast break. He was fouled with seven seconds left. Murray-Boyles missed the first foul shot and then the second on purpose. Nick Pringle grabbed an offensive rebound, but his pass went out of bounds for the Gamecocks’ 19th turnover of the game and their fifth in overtime.
The Bulldogs hit a pair of free throws for a 63-58 lead with four seconds to play. Murray-Boyles added a dunk and the Bulldogs had two final free kicks to close out the scoring.
Along with poor shooting, fouls continue to be an issue for the Gamecocks. Their 19 in this one are their second of the season. They had at least 16 losses in four straight games.
On the plus side, the Gamecocks were 22-29 from the foul line and they outrebounded the Bulldogs 45-30 with 21 offensive rebounds that turned into 18 points.
The Gamecocks are 10-10 overall and will play Tuesday night at Georgia.
Lamont Paris after the game
Jamari Thomas and Collin Murray-Boyles after the game