How USC looked within for inspiration in historic road win over No. 5 Tennessee

Myles Stute desperately wanted to play against Kentucky last week.

The junior forward was forced to watch from the sideline as the Gamecocks took on its first Top 10 team of the season. Sidelined with a shoulder strain, he did the one thing he knew would help: Keep sharing encouraging words.

Stute didn’t get an opportunity to shine in the win against the Wildcats, but he got it a week later. Surrounded by thousands in orange and white at the Food City Center, Stute drilled the four game-clinching free throws in South Carolina’s 63-59 upset over No. 5 Tennessee.

“It meant a little bit more to me personally,” Stute said, “but you know it’s all love, and I’m just excited we came out here with the win tonight.”

Against Tennessee, Stute again kept sharing encouraging words with his teammates, as Lamont Paris pointed out. The head coach didn’t have to hype up his own team as they battled a Top 10 team in hostile territory. They knew what to say to one another, especially during timeouts.

There wasn’t a single shred of doubt that they believed they could defeat the Volunteers.

“They did a really good job of staying in the moment,” Paris said. “The words that they say ... are meaningful messages in the timeouts and on the court. And that’s really important. That just tells you they know where they’re at and how to manage the situation.”

Forget about the outside noise — this team isn’t worried about that. There isn’t much else to say: South Carolina (18-3, 6-2 SEC) has exceeded all expectations.

USC led Tennessee for over 30 minutes Tuesday, doubling down on its ranked win against Kentucky a week earlier.

The Gamecocks didn’t intend to let each other down and made that clear in every huddle, with every high-five and again in the locker room when it was all said and done.

“It really shows that we’re able to just lean on each other and trust each other,” Stute said. “And it’s genuine. It’s not just because we’re on the same team while we play this. These guys today know day in and day out, every single practice, we lean on each other. In our hardest moments off the court, we lean on each other. So it’s really there, that true genuine love and trust for each other.”

Stute missed the chance to contribute against the Wildcats, but he was elated to watch his teammates succeed. He’ll support whoever needs an extra confidence boost and stand up for whomever deserves more recognition.

“I’m just so proud of these guys,” he said, beaming. “And I’m just glad to be a part of the ride at this point.”

Paris, watching the 63-59 score go final, hugged every one of his players before shaking hands with Vols head coach Rick Barnes. The pride was evident.

“It just shows how together we really are,” Ta’Lon Cooper said. “We all genuinely love and play hard for each other.”

Tuesday’s victory was the Gamecocks’ first road win over a Top 5 team since they beat No. 3 Kentucky in March 1997. And, according to USC, the program has two wins over Top 10 teams in a three-game stretch for the first time since the late 1960s.

South Carolina made history Tuesday, and they danced it out and celebrated like they’ve done all season.

Next four games

• Feb. 3 at Georgia, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)

• Feb. 6 vs. Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)

• Feb. 10 vs. Vanderbilt, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)

• Feb. 14 at Auburn, 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network)