Jan. 12, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina hosts Alabama on Tuesday continuing Southeastern Conference play. The matchup is set to tip at 9 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ESPNU. The Gamecocks won last season’s meeting vs. the Crimson Tide, 67-66 in Columbia, as then-freshman Sindarius Thornwell sank a free throw with just under six seconds to play to seal the Gamecock victory. Tuesday’s contest will feature Mike Morgan (pxp) and Barry Booker (analyst) on the call.

GAME INFORMATION
Game Date: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Broadcast: ESPNU/WatchESPN
Talent: Mike Morgan (pxp), Barry Booker (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Sirius: 119; XM: N/A
Series: Alabama leads 24-14
Last Meeting: 67-66 Carolina win on Feb. 15, 2014, in Columbia, S.C.

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GAME STORYLINES
– South Carolina is in its 107th season of varsity basketball in 2014-15.
– The Gamecocks are led by third-year head coach Frank Martin. His associate head coach is Matt Figger, his assistant coaches are Perry Clark and Lamont Evans, and his director of operations is Andy Assaley.
– South Carolina suffered its second-consecutive loss on Saturday, falling on the road to Ole Miss, 65-49. The Gamecocks struggled on both ends of the floor, hitting just 18-of-49, including a 4-of-20 mark from 3-point range. Ole Miss wasn’t much better from the floor, however, they hit 50% from beyond the arc and 81.8% at the free throw line.
– The Gamecocks are 10-7 all-time in home contests vs. the Crimson Tide, including last seasons’s 67-66 thriller.
– South Carolina suffered a 72-68 loss to visiting Florida on Jan. 7 in the SEC opener for both schools in Columbia. The Gamecocks had just one in double figures, with senior guard Ty Johnson posting 20 points. Carolina made just eight baskets in the second half, however, the Gamecocks hit 23-of-27 from the foul line (85.2%) in the contest.
– The loss to Florida snapped a seven-game South Carolina win streak. That streak was the longest for the Gamecocks since the opening of the 2003-04 campaign when Carolina won eight straight.
– South Carolina upset No. 9/9 Iowa State on Jan. 3 in a neutral site matchup vs. the Cyclones at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Sophomore guard Duane Notice led three Gamecocks in double figures with 15 points, while senior guard Ty Johnson and sophomore guard Sindarius Thornwell posted 13 apiece. Thornwell notched six of those points in the final two minutes of the game, also collecting his lone steal of the contest to seal the win for Carolina.
– The Gamecocks, then-ranked fourth in the nation in opponent field goal percentage, held Iowa State to just 35.1 percent (20-57) from the field, which was 15 points below their average entering the game at 50.6 percent.
– Carolina and Iowa State combined for just three made 3s in the contest at the Barclays Center, with the Cyclones hitting just one – well below their season average of 8.7 made 3s per game entering the matchup.

SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama enters Tuesday’s matchup with the Gamecocks owning a 12-3 overall record, including a 2-0 mark in SEC games. The Crimson Tide defeated Texas A&M at home in its league opener, and most recently posted a road victory at Tennessee last Saturday. Senior guard Levi Randolph paces the team and ranks eighth in the SEC with 15.3 points per game. Junior guard Ricky Tarrant (13.2) and senior guard Rodney Cooper (10.9) also contribute double-digits. Alabama is currently riding a six-game win streak, defeating UCLA, Stillman, Appalachian State, and North Florida in addition to the above mentioned SEC victories during the stretch. The Crimson Tide ranks among SEC leaders in overall games in free throw percent (2nd, 74.2%), steals (6th, 7.9) and turnover margin (t-3rd, +2.5). Head coach Anthony Grant is in his sixth season at Alabama.

ALABAMA SERIES
Alabama holds a 24-14 upperhand in the all-time series with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks are 10-7 in home games vs. the Crimson Tide. Alabama has won three of the last five meetings between the two schools, but the Gamecocks have won two-straight in Columbia.

BY THE #’S
4.1 – Rookie point guard Marcus Stroman leads the Gamecocks and ranks eighth in the SEC (3rd among rookies in the league) with 4.1 assists per game. In home games, Stroman is averaging 5.0 dimes per outing.
2.1 – Senior guard Tyrone Johnson ranks seventh in the SEC with a 2.1 assist to turnover ratio.
36.7% – Carolina’s 36.7 percent from the floor at Ole Miss was a season low in the category.
5.0+ – Seven different Gamecocks average atleast 5.0 points per game, led by sophomore guard Duane Notice’s 12.4 points per outing.
11-11 – Senior guard Tyrone Johnson has hit all 11 of his attempts from the charity stripe in league play this season. He is averaging 16.5 points per SEC game.

UP NEXT
South Carolina travels to face Auburn on Saturday. The Tigers hold a 22-15 upperhand in the all-time series between the two schools, but hold just a slight 9-7 advantage in games played in Auburn. Auburn won two regular-season meetings between the two schools last season, but the Gamecocks snapped a five-game Tiger win streak with a 74-56 win over Auburn in the SEC Tournament. Game time vs. the Tigers is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.