NASHVILLE -- Kentucky made its first three shots to start the second half, but that's not what scared South Carolina coach Dave Odom.

It wasn't the shots. It was the flashbacks.

When Odom saw flashes of the Gamecocks' regular-season performance, he called a timeout just 2 minutes, 13 seconds into the second half of Saturday's first SEC tournament semifinal game at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

"That was the first time in the three days of the tournament that I thought a team took it to us harder than we took it to them," Odom said.

Such lapses were commonplace during a 14-loss regular season. And none was more memorable than a 79-66 loss to Kentucky in Columbia, S.C., last month.

"We were like a punch-drunk fighter in the second half," Odom said. "We just took everything they threw, and never threw anything back."

In the opening moments of Saturday's second half, Odom reminded his Gamecocks of that punch-drunk fighter. They responded like a champion.

South Carolina overcame a five-point deficit midway through the second half, then outplayed the Wildcats down the stretch for a 65-61 victory in its improbable run to this afternoon's tournament championship game.

Saturday's victory was as surprising as South Carolina's 79-71 upset of Tennessee. The Vols were a higher seed, but Kentucky's depth was considered a huge advantage in a matchup of teams playing their third game in three days.

Odom addressed that in his pregame speech.

"(Point guard) Tre Kelley played 37 minutes in each of the first two games," Odom told his team. "We never practice less than 90 minutes. So don't tell me he's tired."

Kentucky coach Tubby Smith did his best to wear out the Gamecocks. He began subbing for his starters in the first six minutes. He used 12 players in the first half.

He tried to win with quantity. He lost on quality.

The more Smith substituted, the more you were reminded how ordinary this Kentucky team is.

The Wildcats might have played better down the stretch of the regular season. They might have rallied to beat Alabama in Friday's tournament quarterfinals.

But they never reminded you of the Kentucky teams that have dominated this tournament. They didn't even remind you of the team that beat South Carolina twice during the regular season.

These Wildcats often remind you of an all-star team without all-star talent. No matter how hard Smith tries, he struggles to make the pieces fit.

The Wildcats frequently forget about center Randolph Morris, who didn't get a shot for the first 10 minutes of the game. They also forget their roles.

For example, Bobby Perry, who averages 3.5 points per game, had as many shots (seven) as Patrick Sparks, who scored 26 points against the Gamecocks three weeks ago but managed only nine Saturday.

The Gamecocks rarely clicked during the regular season, but they've played with more cohesion and determination the last three days. They also seem stronger for their past failures, which included three consecutive February losses by a total of five points.

Even though the Gamecocks lost twice to both UT and Kentucky, they didn't feel inferior. Instead, they felt due.

"We were in both of those games (against Kentucky) during the regular season," Kelley said. "I know if we take care of the ball, execute offensively and defensively, we'll be in the game late.

"All we had to do then was stay poised and make plays. And these guys made plays."

He made it sound easy. But now comes the tough part: a fourth game in four days, against a team as talented and deep as Florida.

Of course, Odom would say, that's nothing compared to a 90-minute practice.