No. 7 South Carolina (18-5, 7-3 SEC) at Alabama (14-9, 4-6)

Start time: 7 p.m.

TV: SEC Network

Live stream: watchespn.com

Live audio: 107.5 FM/1320 AM (Columbia)

Last game

The Gamecocks dropped a 67-53 road contest to No. 2 Mississippi State, wrapping up an incredibly tough stretch that also saw them take on No. 1 UConn in another defeat. The game against the Bulldogs was a frustrating one: South Carolina jumped out to a hot start and held a five-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs outscored them 26-9 in that period to secure the win. A’ja Wilson led South Carolina with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Lindsey Spann returned to the lineup after being sidelined for several games with a knee injury. The Gamecocks have been operating with razor-thin depth, so Spann’s availability (and perimeter shooting) could make a big difference down the stretch.

What to watch for

While the SEC regular-season title is probably out of reach for the third-place Gamecocks, they can still wrap up a top-four seed in the conference tournament. Thankfully, the schedule eases up starting today. The Tide is mired in a three-game losing streak, most recently dropping a 74-66 result to Arkansas and a 69-60 loss to Auburn. Hannah Cook leads Alabama with 11 points per game, and Ashley Knight ranks fourth in the SEC with 2.17 blocks per game.