A disappointing second half was the difference as No. 3 seed Alabama fell to No. 2 seed Florida 104-82 in Saturday’s SEC Tournament semifinal game.
The Crimson Tide put together a solid first half, but their chances of making the SEC Tournament finals came to an abrupt halt after Grant Nelson left with a left leg injury. With Nelson out of the game, the offense could not get anything going in the second half.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Crucial Injuries
There is big concern on the seriousness of a couple of key players that got banged up on Saturday. The first crucial injury happened late in the first half when Grant Nelson limped off the court with a left leg injury. Nelson failed to return to the court, and both the offense and defense suffered dramatically. Mark Sears also suffered an injury after his foot was stepped on. Sears did return later but was noticeably a step slow.
Sears Struggling to Score
Alabama needed a big game from its leading scorer, but Mark Sears was unable to deliver. Sears continued his struggles from behind the arc, unable to connect on any of his four attempts. He was also unable to get anything going with dribble drives, especially after having his ankle stepped on. Sears was unable to score a single field goal in the second half and finished with just nine points on the day.
Rough Second Half
The Crimson Tide’s offense clicked in the first half, as they controlled the pace and connected on pick-and-roll set pieces. The closing 20 minutes were a different story. With Nelson out of the game, Alabama was unable to establish a flow in its offense. The Gators held the Crimson Tide to just 37 points in the second half while outscoring Alabama by 20 points in the second half.
Philon Failed to Follow Up Big Game
Coming off an impressive 21-point game against Kentucky in the quarterfinals, Labaron Philon had a disappointing semifinals game against Florida. Philon failed to score a bucket until the 5:29 mark of the second half when he hit a three pointer. That three-point basket made for his only points in the game.
Alabama will await its seeding for the NCAA Tournament, with Selection Sunday set for Sunday at 5 p.m.
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