Alabama looks to snap three-game losing streak

Alabama’s basketball team will try to snap its first three-game losing streak – and a losing record in SEC play – in tonight’s road game at South Carolina (7 p.m., FSN).

The Crimson Tide (13-6, 2-3 SEC) will be trying to shake losses at Mississippi State, at home to Vanderbilt and at Kentucky on Saturday.

While moral victories simply don’t exist the Southeastern Conference, Alabama coach Anthony Grant did see some progress from the Vanderbilt game in the loss to the now-top-ranked Wildcats.

“We did a better of job of being aggressive and attacking as opposed to against Vanderbilt,” Grant said. “In the game, I think we had 14 turnovers. Some were our own doing.

“For the most part we got good shots coming down the floor and need to care of the basketball with the possessions we do have. That’s the direction our team needs to go in.”

Turnovers haunted South Carolina, which lost on the road at Auburn and fell to 8-10 overall, 0-4 in the SEC.

“They did a lot of good things on the road Saturday,” Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn said of his players. “But we have 23 turnovers and that eliminated any possibility to win the game, no matter how good the other areas are.”

Horn said Alabama impressed him in its loss to Kentucky.

“They’re a team that, every possession, tries to play the game the right way,” Horn said. “I think most impressive from that game was how many different guys stepped up at different times, especially as they fought down the stretch to keep it a one- or two-possession game. They’re a team that’s starting to have some real balance with what they do.”

For much of this season, Tony Mitchell has led Alabama in scoring. But he scored six points against Kentucky after being shut out at home against Vandy. JaMychal Green leads the Tide with a 14.2 points per game average. Green, the lone Alabama senior, topped the 1,500-point plateau against UK. He is one of just three active players in the SEC with that many points.

But with Mitchell and Green struggling at times, Horn says he more impressed with the Crimson Tide.

“Coming into the season I think everybody knew about Mitchell and (JaMychal) Green and what they were capable of,” Horn said.

“But they have guys like (freshman Trevor) Lacey and (sophomore Trevor) Releford and some other players stepping up and doing some really positive things and making them a better basketball team. …

“Releford’s playing at a really high level right now. I think Lacey is showing what was anticipated in his recruitment out of high school. He’s a young man that can really do some things on the offensive end. He’s shooting the ball extremely well.”

Lacey, one of four freshmen to start for Alabama at times this season, seemed to take a mature outlook on the three-game losing streak.

“We knew this three-game stretch was going to be tough and feel like we could have won all of them,” Lacey said on Monday. “We’re not going to change anything we’ve been doing, but we feel like if we play the way we did the last game, we can really make a turnaround.

“It’s disappointing losing, but no one is getting down or pointing fingers at each other. We’re just coming together as a team and getting ready for the next one.”

South Carolina is led by Malik Cooke’s 12.2 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting. Bruce Ellington also averages double figures at 10.9 points per outing.

But Horn calls 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Damontre Harris the Gamecocks’ “bright spot.”

“He’s been extremely consistent,” the coach said. “He’s made strides as the year has gone on. Really, the challenge for us is to get everybody doing what Damontre’s been doing and do it on the same night for 40 minutes.”

Grant said South Carolina has good depth and is “very dangerous” from the 3-point line.

“They have a lot of guys that shoot the ball well, so we’ll have to play great defensively,” Grant said. “They’ve done a really good job of mixing up their defense to create turnovers and transition opportunities. Also, they’re a great rebounding team.”