No. 4 Alabama overcame the absence of leading scorer Mark Sears to defeat LSU 80-73, demonstrating its resilience and depth in the process. The Crimson Tide, while facing early challenges with turnovers and a tight game, ultimately pulled away in the second half, showcasing their ability to execute under pressure.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Nate Oats wanted to see his team's maturity in Saturday night's game against a team at the bottom of the SEC standings while No. 4 Alabama is trying to compete for an SEC title. That maturity was tested big time with the Crimson Tide playing the entire second half without its leading scorer and a lot of sloppy turnovers and mistakes in the first half.
But thanks to an energetic spurt after the final media timeout, Alabama turned a narrow lead into a double-digit lead on the way to an 80-73 win over LSU (12-7, 1-5 SEC) inside Coleman Coliseum. Mark Sears was scoreless in the first half and did not start or play in the second half for the first time this season. He has been averaging 19 points and almost 33 minutes a game for the Crimson Tide this season. Even with the game coming down to the wire, Oats did not put Sears in. Most of the game was a back-and-forth affair with eight ties and 13 lead changes. Alabama's lead hovered around five or six points for most of the second half, but the Crimson Tide went on an 8-0 run after the final media timeout to go ahead by 13 with 2:09 left. However, the Tigers showed some fight and cut the Alabama lead back down to six points with less than a minute left. Neither team could gather any sort of sustained momentum or build a large lead in the first half. Alabama's largest lead was six points, but turnovers and poor rebounding allowed LSU back into the game any time the Tide went on a run for a 40-40 tie at the half. Alabama's two biggest issues in the first half were turnovers and offensive rebounds by LSU. The Crimson Tide cut down on both categories in the second half. After allowing 13 offensive rebounds and 10 second-chance points in the first half, LSU only had four offensive boards and four second-chance points in the second half. In a close game, Alabama showed improvements at the free throw line, shooting 79 percent, and making clutch free throws in the final important minutes of the game. Chris Youngblood got his first start in an Alabama uniform and scored seven of Alabama's first nine points in the game, finishing with 13 points. Auburn transfer Aden Holloway led the Tide with 19 points, finishing in double figures for the sixth time in the first seven SEC Games.
ALABAMA BASKETBALL LSU BASKETBALL SEC BASKETBALL MARK SEARS NATE OATS ADEN HOLLOWAY CHRIS YOUNGBLOOD
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