The Alabama Crimson Tide remained tied for top place in the SEC after defeating Ole Miss 103-88 in Oxford on Wednesday night. Tied atop the league standings with Tennessee, which upset Auburn earlier in the night, the Tide needed to win to stay on track for Saturday night’s game. Ole Miss dominated the Tide early, leading 37-23 with five minutes left in the first half, but Alabama outscored the host team 80-51 after that.
After a poor performance in Lexington on Saturday, Nate Oats’ team needed to rebound to stay in contention for the SEC Championship. With Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. out for the third straight game due to a concussion, the Oats’ starting lineup remained unchanged: Mark Sears, Aaron Estrada, Rylan Griffen, Jarin Stevenson, and Grant Nelson. The quintet started slowly, allowing the Rebels to gain the aforementioned edge.
The rally began with three-pointers from Sears, Nelson, and Estrada, who pulled within 37-32. Nick Pringle and Sears made a couple of free throws to keep the Tide close, and when Sears nailed a deep three-pointer at the end of the half, the Tide had narrowed the deficit to three points, 42-39.
In the first half, Alabama shot 14-36 (39%), 6-20 (30%) from long, and 5-7 free throws. Alabama finished with 16 rebounds, four thefts, eight steals, two blocks, and just three turnovers. Sears led the squad with 15 points, and Nelson contributed seven. Ole Miss shot 52% (16-31), including 4-13 behind the arc and 6-9 free throws. The Rebels finished with 23 rebounds, two blocks, no steals, 11 assists, and seven turnovers. Alan Flanigan, who managed to avoid a punishment for hitting a teammate in Mississippi’s last game, led the team with 12 points.
Oats kept the same starters in the second half, and the Tide swiftly took control. Stevenson made a basket and two free throws in the first minute, giving Alabama its first lead of the game, 43-42. At 18:37, the Rebels scored to take their final lead of the night, one point.
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