No. 4 Alabama avoided a three-game losing streak with a 96-83 home victory over No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday to complete the season sweep.
The Crimson Tide were down double digits in the first half for the third straight game, but an increased defensive intensity helped them battle their way back for the win.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Slightly Better Start
Coming off two terrible starts that resulted in two losses, Alabama started Saturday’s game not great but better than the previous two. Nate Oats had a quick trigger early on, subbing out his players anytime they made a mistake. The strategy didn’t pay off as well as he had hoped, but it did keep Alabama down seven points at the first media timeout. The Crimson Tide survived the early surge from Kentucky and finished the half on a 29-10 run that gave them a seven-point advantage going into halftime.
Advantage at the Line
Alabama made its trips to the free throw line count on Saturday, hitting 21 of 25 attempts from the charity stripe while Kentucky shot just 72.7% from the line. Mark Sears led the way for the Crimson Tide going a perfect 11-for-11.
30 More for Sears
Sears followed up a season-high 35-point night against Missouri with 30 more against Kentucky, shooting 8-for-17 from the field. Alabama utilized Sears off the ball more to give him a chance to catch the ball off a pass for an open shot or drive to the basket. A perfect night from the free throw line contributed 11 points to his final point total of 30.
Improved Defense
Giving up 83 points on defense isn’t ideal, but it’s a big improvement after allowing 110 points in the previous game. According to KenPom, Kentucky is the No. 5 team in adjusted offensive efficiency, and Alabama’s defense held its own by slowing down the Wildcats offense. Kentucky’s leading scorer, Otega Oweh, was kept well below his season average of 16.2. Oweh was held to just two points on 1 of 9 shooting.
Alabama will host Mississippi State on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
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