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TAMPA, Fla. -- Frank Martins uneasiness about how No. 16 South Carolina might respond to its first loss of the season was unfounded.PJ Dozier and Duane Notice assured that, stepping up in the absence of leading scorer Sindarius Thornwell to help the Gamecocks (9-1) shrug off cold shooting and pull away to a 77-66 victory over South Florida on Saturday.Dozier scored 11 of his 23 points in the closing minutes and Notice gave South Carolina a spark by contributing 14 of his 15 points after halftime to help the Gamecocks bounce back from last Mondays 67-64 loss to Seton Hall.It was my concern for this basketball team coming into this game, coming off our first loss, being so young, that some guys wouldnt handle it (well). Losing is an epidemic, and losing is not good. And young people dont know how to handle losing, Martin said.It was our first experience as a team to go through it. I think we kind of came out and played the first half like somebody took our dog. We didnt have our enthusiasm, the fight that weve played with every single day out, Martin added. But Im equally as pleased, I thought we played well in the second half as a basketball team. Different guys doing things. Obviously PJ continues to grow as a player here and do unbelievable things. But like I told him, its also his challenge.The Gamecocks (9-1) improved to 2-1 without Thornwell, who has been suspended indefinitely for violating athletic department policy.With Sind being out, we had only two seniors out on the floor. So as Coach said, were young. Were a young team and were just looking to grow, Dozier said.We came out first half a little sluggish. We make our offense out of our defense and wasnt doing that the first half, the 6-foot-6 sophomore guard added. We went into the locker room and Coach gave us that word that we needed and came out with the intensity we should have started with.Jahmal McMurray led USF (5-4) with 25 points. Malik Fitts had 12 points and Geno Thorpe finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who led 37-31 at halftime.South Carolina began the second half with a 17-9 burst to take a 48-41 lead. Dozier and Notice keyed the initial surge and Dozier took over down the stretch, when the Gamecocks led by as many as 13.We got, maybe, a little bit complacent. Didnt come out with the fire that we had in the first half, McMurray said. The second half, we just have to ... come out with the same fire.THE BIG PICTURESouth Carolina, which has its highest ranking since being No. 14 in the final poll of the 1997-98 season, obviously misses Thornwell, who leads them in assists, as well as scoring and rebounding. With Notice missing the first eight shots he attempted, including six from 3-point range, the Gamecocks trailed at halftime for the first time this season.Not surprisingly, South Florida faded down the stretch. Luis Santos made a layup to trim South Carolinas lead to 64-61 with 7 minutes left, however the Bulls didnt score again from the field until Bo Zeiglers basket with 29 seconds left.FIRST BIG TESTSouth Carolina is only Power 5 opponent USF is scheduled to face this season. The Bulls fell to 0-4 against ranked opponents under coach Orlando Antigua and have dropped 20 consecutive games to Top 25 opponents since knocking off No. 15 Louisville on the road on Feb. 29, 2012.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Gamecocks may lose some ground in the next AP poll, however, rebounding on the road -- albeit against an opponent thats had its share of problems against a weak schedule -- will likely keep the Gamecocks in the Top 25.UNIENDO LOS TOROSUSF designated Saturday as Uniendo Los Toros, which in English translates to Uniting The Bulls. The game featured two of three Hispanic-American head coaches in NCAA Division I in South Carolinas Martin and USFs Antigua. Miamis Jim Larranaga is the third. Early arrivals among the announced crowd of 2,489 at the Sun Dome received white T-shirts commemorating the occasion.UP NEXTSouth Carolina: Returns home to face intrastate rival Clemson on Wednesday.South Florida: Faces Northern Illinois at home on Tuesday.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. Miami Marlins Gear . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Miami Marlins Shirts . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Miami Marlins Pro Shop . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Marlins Jerseys 2019 . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. BOSTON -- David Ortiz stood in the on-deck circle as Texas intentionally walked Dustin Pedroia, hoping the move to put runners on first and second with nobody out would result in the Boston slugger grounding into a double play. Ortiz did not oblige, driving the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer that lifted the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the Rangers on Thursday night after trailing by three runs. It was his 11th career walkoff home run and first in nearly four years. "They dont like to mess with Papi late in the game. They stopped doing that," Ortiz said. "In that kind of situation, pretty much most of the time its either a walk or something else happens. I just keep my patience." Jonny Gomes led off the ninth with a double to centre off left-hander Michael Kirkman (0-2), who then walked Pedroia intentionally with Ortiz watching and waiting. After going 0 for 3 with a walk, Ortiz delivered a shot that landed in an empty Texas bullpen. Ortiz watched his homer for a few moments before trotting his way toward home where he was met by a swarm of celebrating teammates. "I think it was a good move. I dont think there was anything wrong with that," Ortiz said of the walk to Pedroia. "Its part of the game. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesnt." It certainly did not Thursday. "Apparently he was just sitting on that pitch," Kirkman said. "I thought it was a really good pitch -- good movement inside, right where I wanted it. He just got the barrel to it." Andrew Bailey (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for Boston, which took two of three from Texas. Jacoby Ellsbury scored the tying run on a fielders choice in the seventh inning of his first game after sitting out five straight because of a groin injury. Ellsbury had a pair of doubles and two singles. Gomes also had four hits and Pedroia hit a two-run double in the third. Jeff Baker and Adrian Beltre drove in all of Texas runs on early homers off of Jon Lester. The Rangers didnt score after Beltres solo homer in the third and the Rangers bullpen couldnt hold off Boston down the stretch. Texas manager Ron Washington said pitching around the right-handed Pedroia foor the left-on-left matchup between Kirkman and Ortiz seemed he best option.dddddddddddd "Its not the first left-hander Big Papi got, but that was the right move to make right there," Washington said. "It was the only move to make. I can live with Papi doing that." Texas led 3-2 until Ellsbury scored in the seventh when Mike Napoli beat out the throw on a grounder that would have ended the inning after Boston loaded the bases with one out. Napoli hit a sharp grounder to first baseman Lance Berkman, who bounced his throw to Elvis Andrus covering second. "We had a couple of opportunities and we were finally able to cash in," Boston manager John Farrell said. Jon Lester survived a rocky first few innings and pitched through the sixth for Boston, leaving with the Red Sox trailing 3-2 on Bakers two-run homer in the second and a solo shot by Beltre in the third. Lester also had to get himself out of trouble in the first by striking out Nelson Cruz after a two-out walk to Berkman and a single by Beltre. Boston got two back with two outs in the third when Pedroia doubled off the centre field wall after Jose Iglesias reached on a walk and Ellsbury singled. Lester allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out four. Texas starter Derek Hollands line was nearly identical. He allowed two runs on nine hits, also walking three and striking out four. Holland was 5-0 against Boston entering the game. NOTES: Ortiz last hit a walkoff homer against the White Sox on Aug. 26, 2009. ... The Rangers placed 1B Mitch Moreland on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a strained right hamstring and called up 1B Chris McGuinness from Triple-A Round Rock. ... Lester was making his 200th career start, the third LHP in Red Sox history to reach the mark. ... The Rangers had already clinched the season series against Boston for the fifth straight year with a 3-2 win Wednesday. ... Bakers homer in the second was his fourth in the last nine games. ... Iglesias single in the sixth increased his hitting streak to 10 straight games. ... Ellsbury had been out since setting a club record with five stolen bases last week in a victory over Philadelphia. ' ' '