COLUMBIA, S.C. -- After the whistle sounded for a first-half Alabama timeout — with the No. 2 Crimson Tide surprisingly behind — South Carolina star freshman GG Jackson turned to the crowd at Colonial Life Arena and screamed: “This is my city.”
The energy was always expected to be high Wednesday night, with one of the nation’s top teams coming to town and with two of the country’s top freshmen going head to head. But the noise reached ear-splitting levels when Jackson and the Gamecocks seized a lead over the mighty Tide midway through the first half.
Though the Gamecocks (10-18, 3-11 SEC) would fall short against Alabama 78-76, they showed one of the clearest examples yet of the growth they’ve made during a transitional year under first-year coach Lamont Paris. USC played the Tide (24-4, 14-1 SEC) closely for the entirety of the contest, leading by as many as seven points and pushing Nate Oats’ club to overtime.
