What went wrong in South Carolina basketball’s 27-point road loss to Alabama

The scenario South Carolina feared most played out just two games into SEC play. The Gamecocks had blown out teams this season but hadn’t been blown out all year.

Until making the trip to Tuscaloosa.

Despite trailing by just one point at halftime, Alabama’s offensive exploded to take down the Gamecocks in their first road game in over a month, 74-47.

The loss snapped a six-game win streak for USC and dropped the Gamecocks to 13-2 (1-1 SEC). Alabama has won four straight and is 10-5 (1-1).

Gamecocks go cold

Two scoring droughts lasting over five minutes. Five made 3-pointers. 17 turnovers.

Try as South Carolina might, it couldn’t get much of an offense put together in Tuscaloosa.

It didn’t take long for Alabama’s defense to figure out what USC was doing. It didn’t help that Meechie Johnson and Ta’Lon Cooper were the only Gamecock to reach double figures. Eight of the 11 USC players who saw action scored under five points.

It took nearly seven minutes for South Carolina to score in the second half. Frustrations boiled over in the later half of the game, and Johnson ended up receiving a technical foul with eight minutes to go.

USC was eventually going to have a low-scoring night — head coach Lamont Paris predicted that. It just didn’t help that it happened during their first SEC road game. It doesn’t help that USC has another road game in four days.

For the first time this year, Paris has to find a way to regroup and refocus the Gamecocks to avoid any slip in morale. This might be one loss, but USC hasn’t had this large of a loss all year.

It’s more uncharted territory for the Gamecocks to conquer.

South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson (5) shoot the ball defended by Alabama forward Nick Pringle (23) during the game Coleman Coliseum.

First half hold off

Aside from Mark Sears’ 15 first-half points, South Carolina’s defense held on the top scoring programs in the SEC conference to just 30 points at halftime. Despite being on the road, and having a slower offensive day, USC’s defense kept the Crimson Tide on pace with South Carolina’s 63 points allowed per game.

The Gamecocks came out with an extra jump in the opening minutes, taking an early lead they held until the last two minutes of the first half. Johnson and Cooper both had eight points to lead the Gamecocks.

Paris’ defensive setup forced Alabama to play physical basketball — something the Tide doesn’t regularly do. It worked for a while, and the Gamecocks earned a few rebounds.

Sears could navigate the Gamecocks’ defense and was the catalyst in obtaining Alabama’s 30-29 lead at halftime. He was brought the extra spark his team needed to make that second half all about the red and white.

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