By james art 
COLUMBIA, SC — The kickoff of the Lamont Paris’ South Carolina’s No. 3 season hit an early stumbling block Monday night as the Gamecocks dropped their season opener against North Florida 74-71, scoring an unexpected upset of a team that won just 14 games last season.
The Ospreys (1-0) were led by Jaylen Smith 16 points and uses a balanced attack with four double-digit points. Nate Literas added 13 points while Jasay Miles and Liam Murphy each contributed 11 and 14 points, respectively.
South Carolina (0-1) was outscored Colin Murray-Boyles 17 points, but struggled to find consistency on offense all night. The Gamecocks shot just 31.3 percent from three-point range and were dominated on the glass, with North Florida holding a surprising 43-37 rebounding advantage.
The early minutes of the game foreshadowed the struggles to come as South Carolina missed its first four shots and committed two turnovers before finding any offensive rhythm. Although the Gamecocks would eventually build their largest lead of eight points at 48-40 in the second half, they were unable to hold onto their advantage against a scrappy UNF team.
The tide began to turn midway through the second half. After South Carolina took a 50-44 lead with 11:29 remaining, their offense went cold, shooting just 4-for-12 from the floor and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc during a crucial stretch. The Ospreys took advantage of the Gamecocks’ offensive struggles, eventually extending their lead to 74-69 in the final minutes.
Jacoby Wrightwho finished with 12 points, made a layup in the final seconds to pull South Carolina within three, but it proved to be too little too late. The Gamecocks’ other double-digit scores are also included Zachary Davis and Jamari Thomaswho contributed 12 points each.
The loss raised early questions about South Carolina’s perimeter shooting and interior presence, as they were outscored 34-38 in the paint despite their size advantage.
North Florida’s win was built on fundamentals as they allowed just 9 turnovers compared to South Carolina’s 10 and capitalized on their second-chance with 12 offensive rebounds. The Ospreys defense also proved decisive, recording 5 clearances and 8 blocks.
The Gamecocks will try to regroup before their next contest this Friday, hosting SC State at 7:00 PM EST.