COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin needed someone — anyone — to choke off Alabama’s second-half comeback. Michael Carrera was ready for the moment.
Carrera had 20 points and 11 rebounds, including a critical 3-pointer with less than five minutes left that lifted the Gamecocks to a 78-64 victory against the Crimson Tide on Saturday night.
Alabama (11-9, 2-6 Southeastern Conference) had cut a 15-point deficit to 67-61 as Retin Obasohan scored 14 straight points in a sloppy South Carolina stretch. That’s when Carrera took a way-too-long 3-pointer which rattled in to put the Gamecocks on top 70-61 with 3 minutes, 15 seconds left.
“I knew we needed a score,” Carrera said. “He kind of fell and I let it go. And thank God, I made it.”
The basket seemed to rattle the Alabama as well. It made one basket the rest of the way as South Carolina (19-2, 6-2) matched its best start since the 1969-70 team also opened 19-2.
If South Carolina’s going to keep going forward — it hasn’t reached 20 wins since 2008-09 and hadn’t made the NCAA tournament since 2003-04 — it’s Carrera who’s going to lead them. He had a career-high 34 points in beating Mississippi State this past Tuesday night and notched his fifth double-double this season.
“He’s a fun player to watch,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said of Carrera. “On video, not when you’re on the sideline.”
Carrera scored 16 of his points in the second half
Obasohan had 23 points for the Crimson Tide before fouling out in the final minute. Two other teammates fouled out as Alabama was called for 30 fouls in a physical contest.
“They were the aggressors and they were rewarded,” Johnson said.
Sindarius Thornwell had 14 points and Chris Silva 12 for South Carolina.
South Carolina looked like it had this one sewn up after Carrera’s foul shot gave the Gamecocks a 60-45 lead with less than 10 minutes left. That’s when Obasohan went on a tear for the Crimson Tide with 14 points in a row. When he passed to open teammate Shannon Hale for an easy bucket, Alabama trailed just 67-61. Again, it was Carrera who came through, this time with a long 3-pointer to restore the Gamecocks comfortable lead.
Alabama couldn’t recover. Hale finished with 16 points on 5-of-17 shooting.
South Carolina relied on defense to stay out in front early on. Carrera’s 3-pointer put the Gamecocks ahead for good, 22-20 with 8:12 left. Alabama missed 10 of its final 12 shots of the half to fall behind 35-26 at the break.
South Carolina overcame dreadful first-half foul shooting to build the lead. The Gamecocks, eighth in SEC free-throw shooting at 67.4 percent, were 9 of 19 the first 20 minutes.
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