No. 18 Alabama grabbed another road win with an 83-81 win over Oklahoma.
The Crimson Tide got off to a rough start, finding themselves down 11 at the half. Once again, Alabama battled back from behind and used a 50-point second half to come out victorious. The Crimson Tide improved their record to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in the SEC.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Another Slow Start
Alabama has made a habit of falling behind in the first halves of games. At times, the Tide have been able to cut the opposing team’s lead by the time the first half buzzer sounds, but Saturday, they were unable to. Poor shooting and a lack of intensity in the paint led to a 44-33 deficit at the half, the largest of the season.
- Free Throw Woes
The free ones weren’t free for Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide made their way to the free-throw line 26 times but were only able to convert on 15 of them for 58% shooting. Free-throw shooting ultimately decided the game, as it turned into a free-throw contest in the last minute. Alabama matched Oklahoma’s free throws at the end of the game to secure the win.
- Outplayed on the Inside
Physicality in the paint was a problem on Saturday. The Crimson Tide were outrebounded by the Sooners 45-43 as the Crimson Tide closed the gap in the second half. Oklahoma grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, which it converted into 19 second-chance points. The Sooners took advantage of Alabama’s lack of intensity inside the paint, especially when Aiden Sherrell was out of the game, and racked up 34 points around the basket.
- Shooting Struggles
It was a rough day all around for Alabama on the offensive end. In addition to the struggles from the free-throw line, the Crimson Tide had an equally hard time hitting shots in the paint as well as from behind the arc. The Crimson Tide shot 30% from three while hitting just 10 of their 33 attempts on Saturday.
Alabama will host Tennessee next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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