Alabama advanced to 4-0 in the SEC with a 93-75 win over Missouri on Tuesday night with new Crimson Tide football coach Kalen DeBoer in the crowd.
The Tide did not put on a perfect performance but managed to remain perfect in SEC play. The crowd was smaller than normal due to the weather but it was loud and rowdy due to the chippy play between the two teams.
Both the team and the crowd were energized after a technical foul was called on Grant Nelson in the second half for trash-talking after a blocked shot. Alabama would outscore Missouri 45-29 following the technical foul.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Sears Gets Banged Up
Marks Sears was having a bad game to start the first half, and it got worse. Sears only had two points with four minutes left in the first half before landing on an opponent's foot and hurting his ankle. Sears went to the locker room and wouldn’t return in the first half. Heavily taped, he gave it a go in the second half, but was limited, playing only 12 minutes in the second half. Sears finished with just nine points on the night but had a game-high six assists gutting through his injury.
Big First Half For Pringle
Nick Pringle came into the game averaging just 5.1 points per game. After the first 20 minutes, he doubled his average for the season with 10 first-half points. His 10 first-half points were huge in a time while the SEC’s leading scorer, Mark Sears, was in the locker room getting his ankle taped up. Despite the hot first half, Pringle was held scoreless in the second half by the Missouri defense.
Career Night for Griffen
With Sears not at full strength, someone had to step up for the Crimson Tide. Rylan Griffen has been on a scoring tear since SEC play started, and on Tuesday night, he had his best game yet. Griffen walked out of Coleman Coliseum with a career-high 21 points. Griffen did most of his damage from behind the arc hitting five of his seven three-point attempts. He also recorded five rebounds and three assists.
Estrada Provides Points
Aaron Estrada has been Alabama’s jack-of-all-trades so far this season, providing a little bit of everything for the Crimson Tide. Estrada continued that trend on Tuesday, recording eight rebounds and four assists, but his point production was higher than usual. Estrada tied Griffen for a game-high 21 points, thriving while Sears was less than 100%.
Next up for Alabama is a road trip against Tennessee on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. on ESPN2.
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