SOUTH CAROLINA MEN’S BASKETBALL
Justin Minaya had a career night as South Carolina held off an early second half run to pull away from North Alabama for a 77-55 win.
Like so many early season games, this was dominated by fouls. Six fouls, three on each team, were called in the first three minutes, and it got only slightly better the rest of the game. The fouls disrupted the flow and rotations for most of the game.
For the first 25 minutes, South Carolina mostly did what it was supposed to. It defended (North Alabama shot just 6-32, 18.8 percent in the first half and had streaks of six, 15, and eight straight misses), shot well (16-31, 51.6 percent), and didn’t turn the ball over too much (a manageable eight turnovers).
But South Carolina kept North Alabama in the game by failing to do one important thing - rebound. At one point late in the first half, North Alabama was plus-10 on the glass. That led to more shot attempts (that they missed) and more free throw attempts (that they made). North Alabama made 15-18 first half free throws, compared to 5-11 for South Carolina to stay close. South Carolina corrected the rebounding problem following the last media timeout of the first half, when Frank Martin lit into his team.
“If I repeat those words you guys will write an article and try to get me fired tomorrow,” Frank Martin. “I’m trying to keep those words private so the people in the upper deck don’t hear. We just had no fight.”
The rebounding improved as South Carolina cut the rebounding deficit to one and led by ten at the break, but shooting went cold to start the second half. South Carolina went nearly four-and-a-half minutes without a basket, allowing North Alabama to pull within four at 43-39. Then Minaya and Jair Bolden sparked the decisive run.
Bolden broke the shooting slump with a mid-range jumper. On the next possession he came around a screen and drilled a three, the Gamecocks’ first of the game. The teams traded empty possessions and the Bolden got into the lane and fed Minaya for a layup. Minaya added a putback, causing the Lions to call a timeout. It did nothing to stop the run. Jermaine Couisnard nailed a three, and then Trae Hannibal got a steal in the backcourt and soared in for a dunk.
“We decided that we were more concerned about making baskets than defending and I think that hurt us,” North Alabama coach Tony Pujol said. “I can tell you this, 52 (Bolden) hit back-to-back shots and that sparked them.”
The 14-0 run put South Carolina comfortably ahead, while also seeming to take the wind out of North Alabama’s sails. Undersized and in foul trouble, North Alabama spent all its energy just to get to that four-point deficit. South Carolina dominated the glass in the second half and North Alabama stopped attacking the rim, settling for quick threes after a single pass.
Bolden finished with 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds, and his steady play sparked the decisive run. But Minaya was the difference-maker. He made his first five shots on the way to his first career double-double. Minaya tied his career-high with 17 points, and set a new career-high with 11 rebounds. His versatility was on full display, as he was forced to play every position but point guard due to foul trouble.
“I was really excited to come back out and play the game I love,” Minaya said. “I had a lot of emotions before the game, but once it started it was back to normal.”
South Carolina ended up outrebounding North Alabama 47-37, but the numbers masked a bigger problem. South Carolina got just nine total rebounds from front court players. Getting a combined 19 rebounds from two starting guards is not a tenable strategy for the rest of the season.
“My biggest disappointment is (Minaya) had more rebounds by himself than all our bigs put together (nine rebounds),” Martin said.
Notes:
Couisnard made his much-anticipated debut with 15:56 remaining in the first half. He scored two baskets in his first 31 seconds on the court. Couisnard finished with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a block. … Alanzo Frink started but managed to play just 12 minutes before fouling out. He had six points and two rebounds. … South Carolina shot 49.1 percent from the floor and held North Alabama to 24.6 percent. … The Gamecocks ended up shooting more free throws than North Alabama, but were just 19-36 (52.8 percent) compared to 23-33 (69.7 percent). … AJ Lawson never got on track due to foul trouble, and finished with eight points, two rebounds, and a game-high four assists. … Wildens Leveque did not play due to an injury to his right big toe. He was cleared to play, but Martin didn’t feel comfortable putting him in the game. … Jalyn McCreary was a dismal 1-7 from the foul line. … Announced attendance was 11,927. … South Carolina returns to action Sunday against Wyoming.
