National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
South Carolina 67, Alabama 66
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 15, 2014
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Officials: # Joe Lindsay, # Mike Roberts, # Kevin Fehr
Attendance: 8186

South Carolina 67, Alabama 66: Sindarius Thornwell scored 22 points and Mindaugas Kacinas scored the tie-breaking basket with 14 seconds remaining as the host Gamecocks survived blowing a 12-point lead.

Thornwell shot 6-for-11 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line for South Carolina (10-15, 3-9 SEC), which won consecutive conference games for the first time since January 2011. Brenton Williams added 10 points for the Gamecocks.

Trevor Releford scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half to spark a comeback for Alabama (10-15, 4-8), which lost for the fifth time in six games. Releford hit four 3-pointers and finished 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, and Rodney Cooper and Shannon Hale each scored 11 points.

The Gamecocks led 37-25 three minutes into the second half, but Alabama rallied to take a 57-56 lead on Hale’s 3-pointer with 4:42 to play. Thornwell’s driving basket in the lane put the Gamecocks up 63-62 with 56 seconds remaining, only to see Alabama tie the game on Cooper’s free throw with 44 seconds left.

Kacinas tipped home Michael Carrera’s miss with 14 seconds remaining, pushing the Gamecocks ahead 65-63, and after a timeout, Releford's 3-pointer lodged between the basket and backboard, giving the ball to the Gamecocks with 5.8 remaining. Thornwell hit two free throws to make it a four-point game, and Releford’s 3-pointer at the buzzer made it a one-point margin of victory for South Carolina.

GAME NOTEBOOK: South Carolina held the Crimson Tide to one basket in an eight-minute stretch late in the first half, using a 13-2 advantage to lead 28-19 at the break. … Alabama dropped to 0-8 on the road this season. … Williams scored in double figures for the seventh time in his past eight games.
Top Game Performances
 
Alabama   South Carolina
Trevor Releford 27 Scoring Sindarius Thornwell 22
Rodney Cooper 5 Assists Duane Notice 6
Rodney Cooper 5 Rebounds Michael Carrera 7
Trevor Releford 9 Free Throws Made Sindarius Thornwell 9
Trevor Releford 3 Steals Mindaugas Kacinas 2
Rodney Cooper 1 Blocks Michael Carrera 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Alabama 66 41.9 7-15 23-31 11 20 5 7 10
South Carolina 67 48.9 5-13 16-20 13 26 5 4 13