No. 16 Alabama had to battle their way back on Senior Day to secure a 92-88 win in overtime over Arkansas.
On Saturday, it looked like Coleman Coliseum and the Alabama basketball team had left for spring break early. Neither had any energy, and it made for a difficult game against a struggling Arkansas team.
With a No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament on the line, Alabama never gave up and clawed their way back to force overtime, where they finally gained their first lead of the game. Sam Walters’ seven points in overtime helped save the day for what could have been a disaster for the Crimson Tide.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Nelson’s Highs and Lows
If Alabama wants to make a deep run in March, Grant Nelson will need to play a huge role. Nelson recorded his second double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds. He could have had a bigger game but once again his minutes were limited due to foul trouble. After getting his fourth foul, Nelson became a liability on defense as Arkansas smartly attacked him. Nelson was forced to allow easy lanes to the basket to prevent fouling out of the game.
Wrightsell is Back
Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. returned to the starting lineup after battling a head injury that kept him out of multiple games. Wrightsell provided the three-point threat that was needed for a team that has hit a bit of a slump from behind the arc. Wrightsell shot 4-for-8 on three-pointers and dropped 20 points for the Crimson Tide.
No Help From the Bench
Alabama had to rely on their starters to carry the scoring burden on Saturday. The Crimson Tide bench was outscored 28-16 by Arkansas with 10 of the 16 points coming from Sam Walters. Part of the issue was Rylan Griffen being out due to a calf strain, but other than Walters, there was zero point production from the bench.
Walters Shines in OT
With Griffen out of the lineup on Saturday, Sam Walters received a few more minutes than usual and he took advantage. Walters has been labeled a three-point specialist, but lately, the shots just haven’t been falling. Walters still struggled but managed to hit some timely shots in overtime to carry Alabama to victory. He finished with 10 points, recording seven of those in overtime, including a breakaway dunk to put an exclamation point on the Alabama comeback win.
With the win, Alabama will receive a double bye in the SEC Tournament, meaning their opening game of the SEC Tournament will be on Friday, March 15, with the time and opponent to be determined.
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