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Alabama responded to a 10-point home loss on Tuesday by going into Rupp Arena on Saturday and handing Kentucky its first home defeat of the season.
The Crimson Tide led by 2 after the first half and pushed their lead to as large as 9 points in the second half. Thanks to 24 points from Mark Sears and 25 from Grant Nelson, the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (15-3, 4-1 SEC) earned a 102-97 victory over the eighth-ranked Wildcats (14-4, 3-2).
It was the 24th win for Alabama coach Nate Oats over a top-25 team since taking over at Alabama, bringing him 1 win shy of the program record. It was also Alabama’s first win over a top-10 Kentucky team in Rupp Arena since Jan. 26, 2002.
Here are 3 takeaways from the game.
Nelson keeps it close in the first
Nineteen of Grant Nelson’s game-high 25 points came in the first half, when Mark Sears couldn’t buy a bucket and the Crimson Tide went through a frigid spell from downtown. But the visiting Tide led by as many as 9 points in the first half and never trailed by more than 6 points.
As Alabama worked its way into the game, Nelson kept it from falling out.
Nelson knocked down a pair of triples in the first 4 minutes of the game, supplying 8 points in a 1:23 span to push the tide out in front after Kentucky jumped to a 7-2 lead. After a layup with 14:31 to play, Nelson had officially accounted for 12 of Alabama’s first 20 points.
After a Sears jumper with 13:21 to go in the first half, Alabama made just 1 shot from the field over a stretch of more than 6 minutes. During that time, Kentucky went from down 7 to up 6.
Nelson, once again, was there to give Alabama a lifeline. He got an and-1 with 4:39 to play, made a pair of free throws a minute later, and then knocked down a layup. Sears splashed home a triple with 1:52 to go, snapping a stretch of 12 straight misses from beyond the arc.
Alabama went to the break up by 2. After taking the lead on another Sears triple with 14:02 to play in the second half, Alabama never trailed again.
Alabama outworks Kentucky in the second half
Forward Mouhamed Dioubate finished with a modest stat line: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in 15 minutes. He fouled out, but not before helping Alabama take control of the game. Alabama outscored Kentucky by 21 points when Dioubate was on the court. His energy changed the complexion of the affair. Alabama beat Kentucky to the 50/50 plays. Alabama outworked the Wildcats in the paint and around the glass.
Alabama finished with 15 offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points. The Crimson Tide were outshot from the field (48% to 45%), outshot from the 3-point line (41% to 38%), outscored in the paint (44-34), and committed more turnovers (10 to 8). But they won anyway.
A lot of that comes from work that won’t show up in the box score. Alabama won the hustle plays. Tip balls that kept plays alive and led to points. Battles for rebounds and loose balls on the deck that led to extra possessions. Alabama did the dirty work just a touch better than Kentucky.
Oweh does everything he can
Guard Otega Oweh led the Wildcats in scoring with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He just didn’t have much help until it was too late.
Forward Andrew Carr made just 1 basket on 4 shot attempts. Jaxson Robinson shot 4-for-10 from the field and 3-for-7 from the 3-point line. He did not attempt a free throw. Lamont Butler, who played at less than 100%, went 1-for-4 in the first half and scored 8 of his 17 in the final 2:30 of a game that was mostly decided.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
