Sloppy play and poor shooting led to No. 4 Alabama dropping its first SEC game of the season to No. 21 Ole Miss 74-64 on Tuesday.
The Crimson Tide carried a four-point lead into halftime, but their worst shooting half of the season, which occurred in the second half, was the difference in the game. Alabama started the game off slowly and finished in a similar fashion. With the loss, only Ole Miss and Auburn remain perfect in the SEC.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Shooting Slump
Alabama’s shooting woes started with Mark Sears. The SEC’s leading scorer, averaging 19 points a game, was only able to scrape 11 points together as the offense never got into a rhythm. Sears couldn’t buy a bucket on drives or behind the arc and had to rely heavily on his free throws to generate any kind of scoring. Sears finished a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe.
Getting to the Line
Shots weren’t falling for the Crimson Tide, but their penetration led to 26 trips to the line. What has been a weakness for the team this season ended up being their strength on Tuesday. Alabama hit 19 free throws, which kept the game within striking distance.
Sloppy With the Basketball
In addition to having an off night shooting, the Crimson Tide played their sloppiest game of the season. Alabama turned it over a season-high 21 times, leading to 19 points off turnovers for Ole Miss. Alabama was also unable to force many turnovers on the defensive end of the court.
Offensive Rebounds Nowhere to be Found
Coming off a game in which Alabama went toe-to-toe with the nation’s best rebounding teams, the Crimson Tide were unable to find any second-chance points on the offensive glass. Alabama was held to just four offensive rebounds, generating just four second-chance points.
Alabama will travel to Kentucky on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN at 11 a.m.
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