No. 16 Alabama dropped its final road game of the regular season to Georgia on Tuesday, 98-88.
The Crimson Tide had made it a habit of slow starts and putting themselves down double digits before ultimately coming from behind to grab victories. The Bulldogs got up 14 in the second half and held off the Alabama attempt at a comeback to end their win streak at eight games.
Alabama drops to 22-8 overall and 12-5 in the SEC.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Careless With the Ball
Neither team was very good at protecting the ball, and with both teams’ pace of play, it is understandable. Nate Oats, earlier in the week, expressed that he wanted his team to create more turnovers. His message was received, and the Crimson Tide turned the Bulldogs over 14 times, resulting in 15 points off turnovers. Unfortunately, Alabama was also careless with the ball, turning it over 10 times, resulting in 21 points off turnovers.
- Too Many Second Chances
Keeping teams off the offensive glass has been an issue for this Alabama team this season. The Crimson Tide didn’t do a terrible job keeping Georgia off the offensive boards, but it was what the Bulldogs did with their second-chance opportunities. Alabama allowed 13 offensive rebounds, leading to 25 second-chance points.
- Zero Paint Presence
Georgia made their presence felt inside the paint while Alabama’s was nowhere to be found. Both teams like to score inside the paint when they aren't taking three-pointers. On Tuesday, Georgia dominated on the inside on offense and defense. The Crimson Tide lost the battle in paint, outscored 40-18.
- Philon’s Performance Not Enough
Labaron Philon did his best to try and will Alabama to another comeback, but his efforts were outshone by Georgia’s Kano Catchings. Philon put up a team-high 26 points and added three assists in the losing effort. On the other end of the court, Catchings could not be stopped or even slowed down as he hit seven three pointers on his way to a game-high 32 points.
Alabama will host Auburn at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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