Sears hits 6 3s, scores 31 to help Alabama beat South Carolina 74-47
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Mark Sears hit six 3-pointers and scored 31 points, Aaron Estrada added 17 on 7-of-11 shooting and Alabama used two second-half runs to pull away as it beat South Carolina 74-46 Tuesday night and snapped the Gamecocks’ six-game win streak.
Sears made 10 of 13 from the field, grabbed six rebounds and had three steals. Estrada, who hit 7 of 11 from 3-point range, finished with seven rebounds and two steals.
Alabama (10-5, 2-0 SEC) has won four straight following a three-game skid to No. 1 Purdue, No. 22 Creighton and No. 8 Arizona last month
Meechie Johnson led South Carolina (13-2, 1-1) with 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting, 2 of 9 from behind the arc. Ta’lon Cooper scored 10.
The Gamecocks made 10 of their first 21 field-goal attempts but just 1 of 7 to close the first half and missed their first 10 of the second as Alabama turned a two-point deficit into a 14-point lead. Sears hit a 3-pointer and Estrada added two more in a 13-0 run that made it 42-29 with 14 minutes left.
Johnson hit a 3 with 13:28 left that snapped a scoring drought of eight-plus minutes and a layup by Collin Murray-Boyles about a minute later cut South Carolina’s deficit to 10. Jarin Stevenson answered with a 3-pointer seven seconds later and Sam Walters hit another to cap a 10-0 run for a 54-34 advantage with 8:57 remaining.
The Gamecocks shot a season-low 31% (17 of 55) from the field while scoring their fewest points this season in a game and a half (16 in the second).
Alabama made 15 3-pointers and, despite a 12-9 deficit in offensive rebounds, outscored South Carolina 15-5 in second-chance points.
Alabama hits the road to play Saturday at Mississippi State. South Carolina visits Missouri on Saturday.
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