No. 2 Alabama dodged an upset with a 78-76 overtime win over South Carolina on Wednesday thanks to a career night by their freshman star Brandon Miller. The win over South Carolina moves Alabama’s record to 24-4 overall and 14-1 in the SEC.
Despite battling distractions regarding his alleged involvement in a murder case, Brandon Miller showed up business as usual. As a matter of fact, Miller played his best game of the season, racking up a career high 41 points. It was far from easy for the freshman forward, as the opposing crowd booed him immediately every time he touched the ball, as well as shouting chants of “lock him up” and “guilty.” Miller got off to a slow start not scoring a field goal the first six minutes of the game, but once that first basket went in there was no stopping him, going into halftime leading all scorers with 15 points.
Alabama got another big offensive night from their rim protector, Charles Bediako, finding early success utilizing him on pick and rolls. More known for his defensive presence around the rim and pulling down rebounds, Bediako made his presence felt on the offensive end of the court as well, finishing second on the team in points with 10, and coming up just one rebound short of a double-double with nine.
The Crimson Tide continued to do what they do best and dominated the paint. Alabama outrebounded the Gamecocks 40-27 and also won the points in the paint battle 40-24, including the game winning layup in overtime by Miller. While Brandon Miller seemed to be unfazed by the off the court distractions, the rest of the team seemed to be just a step off their game.
Next up for Alabama is a home game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, February 25, at 1 p.m.
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