Devan dandy, but Vandy rolls

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina basketball coach Darrin Horn didn't quite get the sellout he was pleading for Friday.

More fans, more voices, more noise -- it wouldn't have mattered.

Fact is, Vanderbilt's simply better than South Carolina right now.

The Commodores had too much height and too much depth. They were just too much, generally, in an 89-79 victory Saturday in front of 13,166 fans inside Colonial Life Arena.

USC's Devan Downey was again sensational, with a season-high 35 points (two off his career high). It was another item in his stat line, though, that sent up red flags about the Gamecocks' night.

Downey, at 5-9, led USC (11-6, 2-1 SEC) in rebounds -- with five.

"That's a problem," Horn said.

The team had 24, compared to Vandy's 39. For most of the second half, the gap was even wider.

"I know they're bigger than us," USC freshman forward Lakeem Jackson said, "but we probably could've put up a bigger fight."

And South Carolina did at times,

hanging around most of the first half and cutting the lead to eight with 4 1/2 minutes to play.

But Vanderbilt (14-3, 3-0) had answers all over the floor, in all shapes and sizes.

Center A.J. Ogilvy led the Commodores with 22 points, hitting seven of eight shots.

Forward Jeffery Taylor had 16, making six of nine shots.

Guards Jermaine Beal and John Jenkins chipped in 10 each.

The four Vandy players averaging double figures all got there. All nine guys that played in the first half scored.

"We're nine or 10 deep," Commodores coach Kevin Stallings said. "We did think it would be an advantage. I like the depth of our team."

South Carolina wanted to run, but it looked gassed by night's end. Even Stallings said so.

And detect a theme, with Ogilvy and Taylor? Vandy made a ton of its shots all night.

The Commodores hit 63 percent of 'em in the first half, 59 percent in the second half -- making 33 of 54 in the game (61 percent).

"You won't beat anyone when they shoot 61 percent against you," Horn said.

It would be difficult, sure. And it's going to take a lot more than Downey to do so.

For the first 25 minutes or so, you wondered who else would contribute.

Downey's 3-pointer at the 14:42 mark of the second half gave him 25 points in those 25 minutes. His teammates had just 17 at that juncture.

It's no coincidence that's when Vanderbilt really began to stretch its lead out.

Not only were the Gamecocks not showing up on the scoreboard, they weren't doing a whole lot otherwise, either.

Defense was a particular concern. The Commodores ate up USC's full-court press, despite committing 20 turnovers - five more than they'd had in their first two SEC games.

Horn seemed miffed most of the night with Johndre Jefferson, and Sam Muldrow wasn't far off Jefferson's pace. Ramon Galloway, whom Horn praised Friday, was also a temporary tenant in Horn's doghouse.

Former walkon Robert Wilder earned 11 scoreless minutes during the middle of the game, because Horn said he showed more fire than the players recruited to play.

By the time Downey's teammates began to awaken, it was only enough to get the game to 76-68 with 4:30 to play. Vandy's largest lead was 17. The Commodores had more of a grip on the game than the 10-point outcome.

"We just didn't come out intense," said Downey, who should be a lock for the league's player of the week.

It's easy to lose Downey in the loss. But you'd be wise not to lose sight of how truly special he's been to start the SEC season.

He scored 33 at Auburn, 29 against LSU and then the 35 on Saturday. That's 32.3 points a game in league play.

Downey is averaging an SEC-high 20.9 points a game.

Even when the defense was obviously aware of him, he'd still create shots in the half-court offense and force turnovers that led to transition baskets.

He's playing the best basketball of his career at a time in which his team needs him the most. Just imagine if Downey were off Saturday, instead of 12-for-21 from the field and 8-of-9 at the free throw line.

Would've been far more ugly.

"We were fortunate he had a good game and yet we won," Stallings said.

Perhaps it was more than fortune. To Horn, the Gamecocks (Downey aside) never did enough to stick around against a better team.

You'd think that doesn't make sense, given the fact that USC was going up against such a staunch opponent. But Horn said, really, you just never know what to fully expect when the Gamecocks are dealing with so many young, inexperienced variables.

"We're a work in progress," he said. "We have to continue to understand how we play to be successful."

It's a tough time for learning lessons.

The road ahead is treacherous for USC, which travels to Ole Miss and Florida next week before returning Jan. 26 to host Kentucky.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks.