No. 4 Alabama went on the road and defeated No. 14 Mississippi State 88-84 in front of a hostile crowd on Wednesday.
A game that was expected to be nail-biter turned out to be just that. Both teams exchanged runs throughout the game, leading to 11 lead changes and an exciting finish.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Sears Bounces Back
Coming off a scoreless performance against LSU, Mark Sears bounced back in a big way. A lack of intensity caused him to get benched for the second half of the LSU game, but on Wednesday, he had plenty, delivering blue-collar plays on both ends of the court. Sears finished with 17 points but, more importantly, was putting his teammates in scoring opportunities with his nine assists. He also contributed with six rebounds.
Hot Three Point Shooting
Three point shooting has been hit or miss for Alabama this year, but it was on against the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide shot a blistering 48% from behind the arc. draining 15 three pointers. Chris Youngblood led the way with seven makes while Sears and Aden Holloway both connected on three apiece.
Breakout Game For Youngblood
Another start for Youngblood, and once again, it was the right decision by Nate Oats. In his second straight start, Youngblood scored a season-high 23 points while shooting 7 of 10 from behind the arc. His two free throws down the stretch were key to Alabama’s victory.
Free Throw Failures
Alabama shot a meager 55% at the free throw line, and it almost cost them the game. With 24 seconds left in the game and up three points, Alabama had a chance to put the game away, but Nelson missed a pair of free throws. On his second miss, Mouhamed Dioubate pulled down the rebound and was fouled but missed the front end of his 1-and-1, giving Mississippi State a chance to tie or take the lead. After a missed layup, Youngblood grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Youngblood made both of his free throws to seal the victory.
Alabama will host Georgia on Saturday 1 at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
