No. 4 Alabama’s offense bounced back on the road to win a top-10 matchup against No. 8 Kentucky 102-97.
Coming off a disappointing 54-point performance in a loss against Ole Miss earlier in the week, the Crimson Tide offense showed up on Saturday, nearly doubling Tuesday’s point total by eclipsing the century mark for the fifth time this season.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Quick Start from Nelson
Alabama jumped out of the gate fast, which was a great sight after a poor showing against Ole Miss earlier in the week. The Crimson Tide could hardly miss early on, hitting 10 of their first 17 field goal attempts. Grant Nelson led the way with 19 big first half points. Nelson finished with a double-double, recording 11 rebounds and a season-high 25 points.
Blue Collar Day for Dioubate
Mo Dioubate is never going to lead the Crimson Tide in scoring, but his presence is felt when he is in the game. Dioubate finished with eight points, eight rebounds and a steal, but his blue collar effort was greater. On Saturday, he thrived in the stats that might not show up in the box score like pulling down rebounds in critical spots of the game or diving on the floor for loose balls.
Free Throw Shooting Improves
Free-throw shooting was much better on Saturday, and it was a big factor in Alabama's win. Alabama got to the line often in a game that saw 46 personal fouls between the two teams. The Crimson Tide shot 85% from the charity stripe, sinking 29 of their 34 attempts.
Road Tested
Alabama went into Rupp Arena, one of the toughest places to play in college basketball, and came away with a huge victory. Not only did they grab a top-10 win but they also scored over 100 points in front of an intense crowd. The Crimson Tide made a statement on Saturday that they can win in any environment.
Alabama will host Vanderbilt on Tuesday, January 21, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
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