GAME NOTES: After missing out on the championship game, the Akron Zips and the South Carolina Gamecocks will face off in the third-place game of the Charleston Classic at TD Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Akron got its stay in the this event off to a great start on Thursday by claiming a convincing 66-46 opening-round victory over USC. The Zips' quest for a title came to an end in the semifinals on Friday with a 79-51 loss to Miami-Florida, as they fell to 2-1 on the season.

South Carolina put up a great fight in its semifinal-round contest with Charlotte but ultimately suffered a heartbreaking 65-63 loss after its last- second 3-point attempt did not fall. The Gamecocks, who beat Cornell in the opening round on Thursday (69-45) are now 2-2 on the season.

South Carolina beat Akron twice during the 2013 Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii in the only two previous meetings between the squads.

Although the Zips trailed by just five heading into intermission versus Miami on Friday, they quickly lost control of the contest in the second stanza and eventually suffered the 28-point defeat. They shot just 33.3 percent from the field while allowing the Hurricanes to make good on close to 60 percent of their shots overall. Pat Forsythe and Jake Kretzer netted 11 points apiece, with Kretzer coming off the bench to make 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Noah Robotham added 10 points to the losing effort.

Akron's offensive has regressed in each of its three games, and it now sits with just 63.7 ppg on less than 40 percent field goal shooting, although luckily it has stepped up its play on the defensive end of the court (60.7 ppg). With Demetrius Treadwell (10.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg) suspended indefinitely, Forsythe (10.7 ppg), Robotham (10.7 ppg) and Kwan Cheatham Jr. (9.3 ppg) are the top playmakers.

The Gamecocks set a great pace early in their semifinal contest by running out to a lead as large as 14 in the first half, but Charlotte quickly erased its deficit. After the 11th tie of the game inside of two minutes, Charlotte took a two-point lead on a pair of free throws, the Gamecocks were unable to respond, missing two shots and committing two turnovers in the final 51 seconds. Their field goal percentage (.426) didn't kill them, but they made just 3-of-18 from 3-point range and committed 17 turnovers. Sindarius Thornwell, who missed the final 3-point attempt of the game in the waning seconds, finished with 20 points and eight rebounds but also coughed up seven turnovers. Mindaugas Kacinas and Michael Carrera netted 11 points apiece.

Much like Akron, South Carolina plays great defense, allowing just 58.8 ppg on 37.1 percent shooting, which helps mask a modest offensive attack (69.5 ppg, .430 FG percentage). Thornwell shoots only 38.9 percent from the floor but still puts up a team-high 14.0 ppg, while Tyrone Johnson (10.0 ppg) is the only other player in double figures.

These two defensive-minded teams will likely be in for a low-scoring affair. South Carolina was the much more impressive losing team in the semifinals and appears to have a leg up on Akron talent wise, meaning it should find a way to claim third place.