Alabama, the nation's fifth-highest-ranked team, dominated South Dakota State 105-82 from start to finish in its final non-conference game of the season.
The Crimson Tide never trailed en route to win number 11 on the year. Alabama will head into SEC play with an 11-2 record.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Tone-setting First Half
Alabama got off to a fast start, setting the tone of the game with a dominant first half performance. The Crimson Tide connected on 12 three-pointers in the first half out of 29 attempts, just one attempt short of their normal game average on the year. When the first half buzzer sounded, the Crimson Tide had a 57-33 lead, with four Alabama players scoring in double digits.
Turnovers Under Control
Turnovers have been the only thing holding back the Crimson Tide this year. On Sunday, they were able to keep them under control. Alabama turned the ball over just six times compared to the 14 by South Dakota State. The six turnovers number is well under the Tide's season average of 13 turnovers per game.
Barrage of Three Pointers
Alabama came into the game averaging 30.9 three-point attempts per game. On Sunday, the Tide nearly doubled that as they attempted 55 attempts. The Crimson Tide connected on 19 of those 55 attempts. In the first half alone, Alabama went 12-for-29 on three point attempts. Aden Holloway led the way for the Crimson Tide in attempts and makes, going 8-for-19 from behind the arc.
Trio of Tide Players Score 20+
Three Alabama players led the Crimson Tide offense, scoring over 20 points each. Holloway led all scorers with 26 points, while Labaron Philon and Mark Sears finished on his heels with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Grant Nelson put up another solid performance, finishing with 17 points.
Alabama will open up SEC play by hosting one of the new SEC members, Oklahoma, on January 4 at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
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