Alabama picked up their seventh win of the season, struggling past South Dakota State, 78-65. After spending their Thanksgiving holiday participating in the Phil Knight Invitational, the Crimson Tide returned to Coleman Coliseum, experiencing some hot and cold shooting streaks from behind the arc.
The Crimson Tide three-point shooting was a tale of two halves. Alabama started off the game hot, hitting nine three-pointers in the first half. The Tide had a seven-point halftime lead but went cold in the second half, shooting just 21% from behind the arc and connecting on just four of 19 attempts.
Alabama guard Mark Sears continued to stay hot, having yet another big night with 19 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc, where he was the Tide’s most consistent shooter by hitting four of his seven attempts. Sears seems to have found his shot as he has strung a three-game stretch together in which he has tallied 18 points or more.
Freshman Noah Clowney made a huge impact in his return after he exited the North Carolina game with an injury. It was clear right away that he was not bothered by the injury as he hit four of his first five three-pointers to start the game. The hot start led him to a team high 22 points. Clowney was also a presence on the inside as he not only led the team in points but also in rebounds with nine. The nine rebounds from Clowney helped Alabama to continue their success on the boards, holding a 45-37 rebound advantage, turning those into 19 second-chance points.
Next Saturday, Alabama will face another tough test as they travel on the road to play Houston, their second game of the year against a number one-ranked team.
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