We knew it was going to take a perfect effort for Alabama to knock off South Carolina, and unfortunately, from the get-go, we did not get that.
South Carolina got out to a fast start, holding the Tide to eight points in the first quarter. I was proud of the way this team responded, going on a few nice runs in the second and third quarters to keep the game somewhat interesting. Alabama actually had the deficit down to seven points going into the fourth quarter, and then from there only scored seven in the last quarter. There is no way this team was going to knock off the Gamecocks with 20 turnovers and only one player to score in double digits.
Ta'mia Scott led the Tide with 14 points, but honestly, big nights from the likes of Jessica Timmons and Essence Cody would have been needed to have a realistic chance of pulling off the shocker.
Dawn Staley's team dominated in the paint, letting Coach Curry know what type of players need to be brought in to compete with the likes of Madina Okot, who had a 16 and 16 double-double effort as well as four blocks. Star Joyce Edwards had her normal performance, dropping 23 on an efficient 10 of 15 from the field.
Alabama has no time to dwell on this loss as they head to Gainesville seeking revenge over a Gators team that eliminated them prematurely from last year's SEC Tournament. This team has struggled against lesser teams on the road, having already lost to Auburn and Texas A&M, so a win over Florida on the road to get to win 21 wins on the season would be huge.
After that, Alabama will have two more opportunities to get its fourth-ranked win of the season at home against Texas and close the season on the road in Nashville. Despite not much luck against the elite-level SEC teams, the hope is that Kristy Curry's team will be a tough out in March.