The Alabama Crimson Tide secured a 89-75 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, led by Aden Holloway's 20 points. Alabama's strong performance was evident in their 45-point first half, which gave them a 13-point lead at the break. South Carolina's Meechie Johnson scored 26 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit, as Alabama maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half, ultimately winning by 14 points.
Aden Holloway's 20 Points Lead Alabama to 89-75 Victory
The game got off to a fast start, with Alabama scoring 45 points in the first half, including 12 points from Aden Holloway. The South Carolina Gamecocks struggled to keep pace, scoring only 32 points in the first half, with Meechie Johnson leading the way with 12 points. In the second half, South Carolina improved their scoring, putting up 43 points, but Alabama matched their pace, scoring 44 points to maintain their lead. The Crimson Tide's Labaron Philon Jr. and Latrell Wrightsell contributed 19 points each, helping to secure the 14-point victory. At one point, Alabama led by as many as 18 points, but South Carolina was able to trim the deficit to 12 points with 5:30 remaining, before Alabama pulled away again.
Aden Holloway led the Alabama Crimson Tide with 20 points, while Latrell Wrightsell and Labaron Philon Jr. added 19 points each. Philon Jr. also contributed 6 assists, helping to facilitate the Crimson Tide's offense. For the South Carolina Gamecocks, Meechie Johnson scored a game-high 26 points, and Kobe Knox added 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Mike Sharavjamts chipped in with 14 points and 8 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome the balanced attack of the Crimson Tide. Alabama's top performers combined for 58 points, accounting for 65% of their total scoring output.
CHD Scout Report Card
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Final
The Alabama Crimson Tide outshot the South Carolina Gamecocks 51.7% to 44.1% from the field, and 40% to 33.3% from three-point range. Alabama also outrebounded South Carolina 38-32, including 10 offensive rebounds, which led to 12 second-chance points. The Crimson Tide committed 12 turnovers, while the Gamecocks had 15, resulting in 18 points off turnovers for Alabama. The Gamecocks were able to stay in the game by scoring 1.04 points per possession, but Alabama's 1.23 points per possession were too much to overcome.
The CHD Scout model predicted an Alabama victory by 19.4 points, with a predicted score of 92-73. While the actual margin of victory was 14 points, the model was correct in predicting an Alabama win. The model accurately forecasted the strong performance of the Crimson Tide, but underestimated the scoring ability of the Gamecocks. The actual score of 89-75 was closer than the predicted margin, but still within the range of the model's prediction. The model's correct prediction was based on Alabama's strong offense, which scored 1.23 points per possession, and their ability to limit South Carolina's scoring opportunities.
The victory improved the Alabama Crimson Tide's record to 18-7, and maintained their NET ranking of 21. The loss dropped the South Carolina Gamecocks to 11-14, and kept their NET ranking at 112. This game was a Quadrant 3 win for Alabama, and a Quadrant 1 loss for South Carolina. The win helps to bolster Alabama's tournament resume, while the loss hurts South Carolina's chances of making a late-season push. Alabama's Quad 3 record now stands at 5-4, while South Carolina's Quad 1 record is 2-8. The Crimson Tide's strong performance against a Power 5 opponent will help to improve their seeding in the tournament.
The Alabama Crimson Tide want to build on their momentum when they face the Tennessee Volunteers on February 18. The South Carolina Gamecocks will try to bounce back when they host the Missouri Tigers on February 17. Both games matters in determining the teams' seeding in the conference tournament.