Admit it Alabama basketball fans. At a 12-1 deficit after four minutes and 20 seconds of play, the chances of a Tide comeback looked slim. Even after Tide shooters made some baskets, the spread grew to 20-8 at the 12:50 mark of the first half.
If Nate Oats and his Alabama basketball team had doubts, none were apparent. What was clear was Oats’ displeasure with the officiating. He got his money’s worth out of a technical foul while being restrained by assistant Bryan Hodgson. Draw your own conclusion but the facts are the Tide ended up shooting 47 free throws to 26 for South Carolina.