No. 25 Alabama handled business on the road, defeating a struggling LSU squad 90-83 on Saturday.
Following a double overtime victory against Arkansas earlier in the week, the Crimson Tide's legs looked a little tired in the early minutes of the first half. Alabama picked up the pace towards the end of the first half and cruised to a sixth straight victory.
The Crimson Tide improved to 20-7 overall and 10-4 in the SEC with the win.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Sluggish Start
The Alabama offense got off to another slow start on Saturday. Midway through the first half, the Crimson Tide only had 13 points, but luckily, LSU only had 14. As the first half progressed, Alabama started to warm up, scoring 30 points in the final 10 minutes of the first half to take a 43-40 lead into halftime.
- Perimeter Defense
In pregame, Nate Oats said that it was ‘a little embarrassing’ giving up 49 points to Darius Acuff earlier in the week, and the focus would be on defending the perimeter against LSU. It didn’t look like there was much focus in the first half as Alabama allowed LSU to shoot 50% from behind the arc, hitting seven first-half three pointers. The Crimson Tide's focus seemed much better in the second half, as they limited the Tigers' perimeter success. LSU was held to just two successful three-point makes in the second half.
- Sherrell Stays Hot
Aiden Sherrell followed up one of his best games in a Crimson Tide jersey with another solid performance. Sherrell recorded another double-double, his second in as many games. The big man was a presence on the inside against a physical LSU team, pulling down 10 rebounds and four blocks while scoring 12 points before fouling out.
- Philon Comes Down to Earth
Coming off a 35-point performance against Arkansas, Labaron Philon fell well below his season average of 21 points per game. Philon was listed as probable on the injury report coming into the game so not being 100% healthy could have played a factor. Philon hit a couple of free throws down the stretch to finish with eight points and seal the Alabama win.
Alabama will host Mississippi State on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
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