It was another slow start for Alabama basketball on Saturday night, but they had more than enough effort, defensive intensity, and offensive firepower to overcome it and beat the Kentucky Wildcats 96-83 and finish off a season sweep of the blue blood.
The Crimson Tide came into Saturday's matchup in Tuscaloosa in desperate need of a win coming off back-to-back disheartening losses. Alabama struggled offensively, shooting just 5-of-26 from three in a loss to Auburn last Saturday. They suffered a complete defensive meltdown on Wednesday in a loss at Missouri.
More intensity and effort on the defensive end was expected from Alabama against the Wildcats. A little over five-minutes into the game and the Crimson Tide found themselves down 20-9. It looked like a repeat of the Missouri game and the third straight game Alabama had a poor start.
Over the final 15 minutes of the first half, Alabama outscored Kentucky 38-20. They played elite on both ends of the floor and stretched their lead to 47-40 at the half.
It was a bit of a struggle to open the second half, but the Crimson Tide locked in defensively and got some big-time shot-making from Mark Sears, Aden Holloway, and Chris Youngblood. Sears led Alabama with 30 points, Holloway scored 19 and hit five threes, and Youngblood came alive in the second half and scored 14.
With what lies ahead for the Crimson Tide, this game felt like a must-win. Alabama did what it had to do to get it done and move to 22-5 overall and 11-3 in the SEC.
3 Takeaways from Alabama's win over Kentucky
3. A couple effort plays in the first half helped turn the game around
Trailing by eight early in the game and with seemingly nothing going right, Grant Nelson produced some offense for Alabama with sheer effort. He miraculously saved the ball from going out of bounds when everyone else just watched, which led to a bucket on the other end by Sears.
It was a quiet night from Nelson overall, especially after he had a 25-11 game in Lexington a month ago. But that was a key play early in the game that helped give the Tide some much-needed momentum.
Later in the first half with Alabama still trailing by eight, Mo Dioubate grabbed one of the most improbable rebounds I've ever seen. Kentucky had four guys in the paint and Dioubate was the lone Tide player down there. He had no position, was boxed out, and somehow, some way, came up with an offensive rebound that stole an extra possession for Alabama and ultimately led to free throws.
Dioubate constantly makes winning plays like that one.
2. Cliff Omoruyi responded from a rough night in Columbia
Cliff Omoruyi took a lot of heat in the aftermath of Alabama's loss to Missouri. That's what happens when you are supposed to be a team's defensive anchor and you play poorly and the team gives up 110 points.
A lot of the heat toward Omoruyi this season has been unfounded, but he did not play well in Columbia. But nobody did on that end of the floor. He responded with a big effort, not just defensively but on the glass.
He finished with a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. He put the exclamation point on the win with an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Youngblood. He was awesome.
1. Mark Sears set the tone
Alabama needed its alpha to set the tone. On both ends of the floor, Sears played with a relentless, contagious effort. He did a great job on Kentucky's Otega Oweh, leading an ensemble effort that held the 'Cats leading scorer to two points on 1-of-9 shooting from the floor.
Sears had his second straight 30+ point night, finishing with 30 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. He also had two steals, including one that led to the dagger down the stretch.
With just over two-minutes to play and Alabama leading by nine, Sears threw an ill-advised pass looking for a lob dunk to Omoruyi that was picked off by Andrew Carr. Sears didn't sulk; instead getting back on defense and intercepting a pass of his own. He then took the ball down the floor and pulled up and drained a deep three that was the final dagger for Alabama.
This version of Sears gives Alabama the best shot at making a deep run and potentially winning a championship. His offensive resurgence the last couple of games after some uncharacteristic struggles, along with an increased effort on the defensive end, is a huge boost to this team.