No. 13 Alabama dropped its first SEC game of the season against Vanderbilt 96-90 as the Commodores remain undefeated on the year.
The Crimson Tide fell to 11-4 overall and 1-1 in the SEC for the year with the loss.
It’s only January and just the second game in the SEC, but it felt like a game in late March. Everything was left on the court, and it felt like nearly every foul was used in the top 15 clash of two of the best teams in the SEC. Alabama battled on the road, but the inability to hit three-pointers ultimately was the difference as the Crimson Tide fell short.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- First Half Resilience
The Crimson Tide found themselves down for most of the first half. Vanderbilt led Alabama by as much as 13 points at one point in the first half while consistently holding a double-digit lead over the Crimson Tide for most of the first 20 minutes. Alabama didn’t back down and fought its way back to a 43-43 tie going into halftime.
- Too Many Turnovers
Coming into Wednesday’s game, Alabama averaged just under 10 turnovers per game. In the first 20 minutes of the game, the Crimson Tide had almost equaled their average with eight first-half turnovers. Vanderbilt turned those eight first-half turnovers into seven points. The second half was a little better, as the Crimson Tide turned it over only five times for a total of 13 turnovers on the night.
- Foul Fest
The first half featured a ton of whistles, with the two teams combining for 24 fouls. Alabama had 13 fouls called on them while Vanderbilt was given 11 fouls in the first half. The fouling didn’t stop in the second half either. Both teams found themselves in foul trouble, as it felt like a whistle was blown each and every time down the court. Both teams combined for a total of 63 team fouls and 88 free throws taken.
- Big Night for Allen
Amari Allen’s previous high on the season was 20 earlier in the year against Clemson. On Wednesday, he set a new season high in points with 25. To go along with his team's high in points, Allen added 11 rebounds for a double-double. Allen stepped up the scoring in the second half while Labaron Philon was in the locker room with an apparent injury.
Alabama will host Texas on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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