The Tide bounced back against Ole Miss, winning 103-88 to improve the Tide to 20-8 on the season. Most importantly, the win kept Bama atop of the SEC standings along with Tennessee.
This marks the first time since 2012-13 that Alabama has had back-to-back 20-win seasons. The offense really picked things up in the second half, scoring 64 points after trailing Ole Miss 42-39 going into break. There are still concerns and questions about the defensive efforts of this team, but with as much fire power as it has on the offensive end, it just has to be average on the other end. It was a much better effort than what we saw in Lexington, but as we all know it will have to be even better if Alabama wants to beat Tennessee on Saturday.
Mark Sears looked much more like himself, leading the Tide with 26 points in an efficient effort Wednesday night. Aaron Estrada had an impressive triple-double with 18 points, 10 boards, 10 dimes, and only one turnover.
Wednesday night marked the first time since Latrell Wrightsell's injury that Alabama has looked good from beyond the arc, shooting over 40% with the help of big nights from both Rylan Griffen and Davin Cosby from downtown. With another 100-point performance, the Tide have tied the 1995-96 Kentucky Wildcats for the most 100-point games in SEC history. It will be interesting to see if the Tide can break the record with three games remaining on the schedule.
Of course, arguably the biggest game of the season is Saturday night in Coleman against Tennesse. The Tide are looking for a little revenge as well as sole possession of first place in the SEC going into the last week of conference play. It is going to be an electric atmosphere and we know how this team feeds off the crowd's energy, especially on the defensive side of the court.