The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team secured a 90-69 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. This win marked Alabama’s fifth consecutive triumph, enhancing their season record to 19-3 overall and 8-1 in SEC play.
Alabama’s offense was spearheaded by guard Mark Sears, who delivered a game-high 20 points, along with six assists and five rebounds. Forward Grant Nelson contributed a double-double, amassing 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks. Freshman Aiden Sherrell, typically averaging 2.2 points per game, achieved a career-high with 12 points and seven rebounds, providing a significant boost off the bench.
The Crimson Tide showcased efficiency in their shooting, hitting 52.6% from the field and connecting on 11 of 26 three-point attempts (42.3%). However, the Tide struggled with ball control, committing 20 turnovers throughout the game. Despite these miscues, Alabama dominated the boards, securing a 52-36 rebounding advantage over Georgia.
Georgia’s effort was led by freshman forward Asa Newell, who recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, and five steals. Forward RJ Godfrey added 10 points as the only other Bulldog in double-digits and the Bulldogs faced challenges offensively, shooting just 35.5% from the field and 17.4% from beyond the arc. This defeat marked Georgia’s fifth loss in their last six games, bringing their record to 15-7 overall and 3-6 in SEC play.
A pivotal moment occurred in the second half when Georgia head coach Mike White was assessed a technical foul with 13:59 remaining, as Alabama led 52-43. The Crimson Tide capitalized on this, initiating a 7-0 run that extended their lead and shifted momentum decisively in their favor and then extended its lead to 25 over the next five minutes, hitting on 8 of 10 shots.
Early in the 1st half at 15:01 and with the score tied 10-10, Alabama went on an 14-0 run to take a commanding 24-10 lead and lead 39-28 at the half. After scoring 10 points in the paint in the first half, the Crimson Tide scored 28 points in the paint in the second
Post-game, Alabama head coach Nate Oats was thrilled with the effort he saw from his guys, “Unbelievable effort from our guys, really the effort we’ve been looking for outside of the start to the second half. You take that four minutes out, which I wasn’t really happy with that effort, but the other 36 minutes, I thought we played really hard. … I thought that was the hardest Mark Sears has played.”
While he was obviously pleased with effort, Oats did express concern with the Tide’s turnovers, “Now, we’ve got to fix the turnovers. Obviously, it’s a major problem, and 12 of those 20 were from three of our fifth-year seniors, which shouldn’t be the case.”
Looking ahead, Alabama is set to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, February 8 at 7pm, in Fayetteville, AR, aiming to maintain their momentum in SEC play. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.