COLUMBIA, S.C. _ The prizefight lasted until the final second of the final round, and it was Clemson's Marcquise Reed delivering the knockout blow.
Reed aced two free throws with 52 seconds to play to pave the way to a 62-60 win over No. 22 South Carolina on Wednesday, breaking a two-year South Carolina winning streak in the series and giving the Gamecocks two losses in their last three games. It seemed fitting that it was Reed, a lightly regarded sophomore transfer from Robert Morris, that made the crucial shots after an evening of Gamecock and Tiger stars trading body blows.
South Carolina sophomore P.J. Dozier scored a career-high 26, his fifth straight game of at least 20 points, while Clemson's Jaron Blossomgame had 15. Elijah Thomas, playing in just his second game for the Tigers after transferring from Texas A&M last year, had 12.
Reed gave the Tigers a one-point lead and the Gamecocks missed two 3-pointers on their next possession, neither taken by Dozier or top outside shooter Duane Notice (Notice had another cold night from the field, finishing 1-of-9 for four points). Forced to foul as the clock wound down, Clemson's Avry Holmes polished off USC without just one miss in his final four free-throw attempts.
Dozier missed a 3-pointer for the win with less than five seconds to go.
Reed's heroics were set up after freshman center Khadim Gueye was whistled for a foul on what looked like a clean block. Gueye had to play extended minutes when starter Chris Silva fouled out on a South Carolina turnover, after the Gamecocks had recovered the ball with the lead.
The Tigers got an early lead by running every rebound and turnover past South Carolina's defense before it got time to set. Once again without top perimeter defender Sindarius Thornwell, the Gamecocks never got a handle on Clemson's big men, who could shoot from outside as well as drive.
