Jaden Shackelford came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points Saturday as No. 24 Alabama raced out to a 23-point halftime lead and defeated Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina 90-71 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Jahvon Quinerly added 20 points and five assists for the Crimson Tide (19-10, 9-7 Southeastern Conference), and Keon Ellis finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. Reserves Charles Bediako and JD Davison contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Alabama won for the fifth time in six games by going 13-for-33 (39.4 percent) from 3-point range and forcing 19 turnovers that led to 24 points. The Tide finished the game at 47.5 percent from the field and had a 38-30 rebounding advantage.
Erik Stevenson scored 17 points and dished out six assists for the Gamecocks (17-11, 8-8), who had their four-game winning streak snapped. James Reese finished with 14 points and Jermaine Couisnard added 13, though he was 4-for-12 from the field.
The Gamecocks shot 45.8 percent from the field, but Alabama’s reserves outscored South Carolina’s 48-16.
The Gamecocks threatened to make a game of it when they opened the second half with a 25-8 burst, getting within 58-52 when Reese converted a fast-break layup with 12:05 remaining. But the Tide regrouped and pulled away, and an 8-0 Alabama run, all on layups, removed all doubt. Davison capped the streak with 4:48 left, giving Alabama an 81-60 lead.
The Tide wasted little time putting their stamp on the first half. After Couisnard hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring, Alabama went on a 14-2 run and led 14-5 when Bediako made a layup less than five minutes into the game.
South Carolina kept pace for a while, but the Tide took control during the final 9 1/2 minutes before intermission. An eight-point margin became 21 on a Shackelford 3-pointer with 4:38 left, and Alabama led 50-27 at the half.
–Field Level Media
