NASHVILLE -- South Carolina coach Frank Martin shook his head, a weary smile barely forming on his face.
"I've been in games that ended with a foul at one end," he said. "I've never been in a game that ended with fouls on both ends."
At least he hadn't until late Thursday night inside Bridgestone Arena, when his Gamecocks fouled Ole Miss guard Jarvis Summers on a made 3-pointer that appeared to give the Rebels a win with 3.3 seconds to go in this Southeastern Conference tournament second-round game, only to have Ole Miss return the favor with 0.7 second left on a missed South Carolina triple.
Given unexpected life after falling behind by one, Gamecocks senior guard Tyrone Johnson calmly sank all three free throws to deliver his team a 60-58 win that moves them on to tonight's 9:30 EDT quarterfinal game with Georgia.
It completed a day in which all four winners were the teams with the weaker records when their games began. It might also be enough to knock the Rebels out of the NCAA tournament when bids are announced Sunday evening.
"I really don't feel like we've done enough," said downcast Rebel LaDarius White, who fouled Johnson inside that final second. "I feel like we fell short."
This game fell anything but short in the excitement department, especially inside the final minute. South Carolina appeared to have won the game when it went up three points at 57-54, only to watch Duane Notice foul Summers on his made 3 from the corner.
When Summers also buried the free throw to put Ole Miss on top 58-57, the game seemed over and more than 15,000 began to head for the exit.
But then Martin drew up a play to get the ball to Johnson, who rose for a desperation shot 30 feet out, only to be fouled by White.
"I saw him coming hard," Johnson said later. "I went up; he fouled me. My job was to make the free throws. We live to fight another day."
Thanks to Johnson's three freebies, they live to fight for a third straight day, the Gamecocks (17-15) having also beaten Missouri on Wednesday night. Now they must play a Georgia team they've beat twice during the regular season.
Asked if fatigue might make a third straight win over the Bulldogs unlikely, South Carolina forward Michael Carrera, who led the winners with 16 points, said, "I can play another half right now."
Said Martin: "I can't coach another half."
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.