Lamont Paris addresses Meechie Johnson's 'retaliatory' technical foul

Tuesday night’s game between Alabama and South Carolina got contentious in more ways than one, both during the game and after it. But a double technical foul involving star Meechie Johnson assessed during the game highlighted the chippiness.

The double technical foul occurred with about eight minutes left in the contest.

After Johnson ran by the Alabama bench, Alabama’s Max Scharnowski appeared to chirp at Johnson, who went right back at him verbally. Officials quickly halted play and ruled a double technical, with each player assessed one.

Gamecocks coach Lamont Paris opened up on the incident after the game.

“I think his was a retaliatory technical foul, to be honest with you,” Paris said. “So they called it on the bench because that’s who really instigated the interaction at all was the bench. But Meechie responded and probably earned his T on that, too.”

Alabama would go on to win the game 74-47, thoroughly taking control in the second half after a fairly back-and-forth first 20 minutes.

After leading the Gamecocks by a point, 30-29, at the half, Alabama turned it on in the second half. The Crimson Tide started the frame on a 13-0 run that grew to 24-5 until the half finished a lopsided 44-18, turning a close game into a laugher.

Johnson, of course, wasn’t laughing on a tough night. The junior finished with 16 points and four rebounds but needed 18 shots to get there.

Frustration just boiled over when Alabama poked and prodded a bit.

“Meechie Johnson is not an instigator, I will say that when it comes to that,” Paris said. “But he had struggled, right? And that’s what happens when you’re a good player and you get into a hostile environment. Everyone did exactly what they should do. The fans do, the players were letting him know about it. He made a shot, I think, right before that and I’m sure they were letting him know about what the score was and all the kinds of things that young people do. So Meechie responded to it.”

The lopsided loss will leave South Carolina looking to bounce back. It’s not a position this year’s team is very familiar with, having lost only one other game (to a ranked Clemson squad) all season.

South Carolina had entered Tuesday night’s game on a six-game winning streak.

The next game for the Gamecocks will come on Saturday, when South Carolina hits the road to take on Missouri in a game that tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.