| MBB/WBB šŸ€ Alabama Comes Up Big on the Road at Ole Miss, 103-78

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The Crimson Tide and Rebels are set to tipoff at 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ā€“ The Alabama men's basketball team will begin its final five-game stretch of the regular season when it travels to take on the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network. It will be first of back-to-back games in the state of Mississippi, as the Crimson Tide will play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., on Tuesday night (8 p.m. CT on SEC Network).

Alabama is looking to rebound from a narrow 74-68 home defeat to Texas A&M on Wednesday night. The Tide led for 17 minutes in the second half alone before the Aggies went on a late 12-0 run to turn a six-point deficit into a six-point lead with 58 seconds left. From there, Texas A&M hit its free throws to help secure the victory.

It was the Tide's sixth straight contest that was decided by six points or less, going 2-4 in those games. The four losses over the stretch have been by a combined 15 points.

Alabama enters Saturday's contest ranked No. 2 in the nation (as of 2/21) in scoring offense at 82.6 points per game, while also ranking second nationally in three-point field goals made per game at 11.0. Furthermore, Alabama ranks No. 3 in the nation in threes attempted (810) and is No. 4 in three made (285) ā€“ both of which are single-season program records.

The Broadcast
  • Saturday's game will be televised on SEC Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Pat Bradley (analyst) on the call.
  • The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play), Bryan Passink (analyst) and Roger Hoover (sideline) on the call. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.
Notes You Need To Know
  • Alabama enters the contest vs. Ole Miss owning the No. 45 overall NET Ranking (as of 2/21) and the No. 11 overall strength of schedule. The Crimson Tide leads all SEC teams in strength of schedule, while its NET Ranking is fifth-best in the league.
  • Over its past three games, Alabama has combined to make 51 three-pointers in 138 attempts (37.0 percent) which average out to 17 makes and 46 attempts per game over the stretch. The Tide broke the single-game SEC record for threes made (22) and attempted (59) in an overtime loss at then-No. 11 Auburn, while also setting the program record for threes made and attempted in a season, topping the 259 made threes in 763 attempts across its 33 games during the 2015-16 campaign. The Crimson Tide comes into its 27th game of the year having knocked down 285-of-810 treys this year.
  • Despite setting a number of three-point records this season, Alabama is a team to relies heavily on getting to the free throw line. Entering Saturday's contest, the Crimson Tide has made 410-of-584 free throws, which ranks 45th and 37th in the nation, respectively, for foul shots made and attempted. Alabama has scored 19.1 percent of its total points on the season at the charity stripe and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc.
  • Sophomore Kira Lewis Jr., who is averaging 17.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists on the season, is the only player in the SEC, one of three in power 5 programs and one of only eight around the nation to average at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
  • Kira Lewis Jr. was named the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Week and guard Jaden Shackelford earned the league's Freshman of the Week, which were both announced by the conference office on Feb. 17. They became the first Alabama men's basketball duo to sweep the league's weekly awards dating back to the 1990-91 season when the SEC began what was then called the Rookie of the Week award. Shackelford was earned the USBWA National Freshman of the Week for his performances in games against No. 11 Auburn and No. 25 LSU.
  • Junior forward Herbert Jones showed why he is one of the most important players on the Crimson Tide's roster. Playing with his left wrist in a heavily bandaged splint vs. then-No. 25 LSU on Feb. 15, Jones was heroic in pulling down a career-best 17 rebounds to go along with six points, three assists and a pair of steals and charges. Jones, a left-hander, also drained a pair of one-handed free throws with his right hand in the game's final minute to help secure the win.
  • In the five games which Jones has missed with injuries, Alabama has a record of 2-3 including a one-point loss to Penn in the season opener, a four-point loss to Arkansas and a one-point loss to Tennessee. A candidate for the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Jones leads Alabama in Hard Hat points (485.5), charges (21) and deflections (66) despite missing the aforementioned games. He has led the Tide in charges taken for each of the previous two seasons, which includes a school record 23 as a freshman. He has now accounted for 61 charges over his 91 career games played at Alabama.
About Alabama
  • Three UA players average double digits, while six average 8.0 ppg or better on the year to lead the Alabama offense. Sophomore Kira Lewis Jr. (17.5 ppg) tops the team and ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring average, while junior John Petty Jr. (15.0 ppg) ranks second on the squad and 11th in the league. Combined the duo produces the second-highest combined points by any two players on the same team in the SEC (32.5 ppg).
  • Lewis, a two-time SEC Player of the Week (1/27 & 2/17), leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally in minutes per game (37.39), while also leading UA and ranking among the league leaders in scoring, assists (3rd - 5.0 apg) and steals (t2nd - 1.9 spg). A first-team All-SEC preseason honoree, he also tops the team in field goals made (165) and attempted (368), and is shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from beyond the arc and 79.4 percent from the charity stripe.
  • Petty is one of the top three-point shooters in the nation. He ranks second in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (43.9 percent, 79-of-180) and in threes made per game (3.0), while ranking 11th and 22nd nationally in the categories, respectively. Additionally, he leads the squad and is tied for eighth in the conference in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and tops UA in threes made and attempted while ranking second in steals (1.2 spg) and minutes (34.4 mpg) per game.
  • Freshman Jaden Shackelford, who was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Week on Feb. 18, also averages in double figures at 14.7 ppg and ranks third in the league three-point percentage (.357) and threes made per game (2.7). He leads the team in threes attempted, as 199 of his 293 field goal attempts ā€“ approximately 67 percent ā€“ have come from beyond the three-point line. Juniors Alex Reese (9.4 ppg) and Herbert Jones (8.9 ppg) both are averaging near double digits as well.
  • Jones, who has been sidelined multiple games and is currently seeing limited action despite a fractured left wrist, is the team's best defender. He leads the squad in Blue Collar Points (485.5), Hard Hat Awards (12), charges taken (21) and deflections (66). Graduate senior Beetle Bolden (8.1 ppg), who has missed four games throughout the year with a variety of ailments, also contribute on the offensive end and ranks fourth on the squad in three-point field goal percentage (.340).
  • As a team, Alabama has outscored the opposition by +3.8 points (82.6-78.8) and is shooting 43.9 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from beyond the arc and 70.2 percent from the foul line. The Tide averages 40.2 rebounds per game which ranks second in the SEC and is 15th-best in the nation.
  • Through its 13 SEC contests, Alabama leads the league in scoring offense (82.8), threes made per game (11.1) and defensive rebounds (28.4). Additionally, the Crimson Tide ranks among the top five teams in league play in rebounding offense (3rd - 40.0), assists (t2nd - 14.3), assist/turnover ratio (3rd - 1.0), blocked shots (4th - 4.6), three-point field goal percentage (4th - .337), offensive rebounding (4th - 11.8), scoring margin (5th - +2.6) and three field goal percentage defense (5th - .298).
About Ole Miss
  • The Rebels come into Saturday night's contest sporting a 13-13 overall record on the season and a 4-9 mark in league play following a narrow 71-68 defeat at Missouri last Tuesday night. After beginning the year with a 9-3 record across its first 12 games, Ole Miss has since gone 4-10 to result in its .500 record on the year. However, six of the Rebels' last nine losses by been by 10 or fewer points with five of those coming down to two or fewer possessions.
  • Junior guard Breein Tyree leads three players in double figures, averaging 20.3 points per game which ranks second-best in the SEC. He tops the squad in field goals made (168) and attempted (389), three-point field goal percentage (.375) and threes made (57) and attempted (152). Tyree also leads the Rebels in free throw percentage (.792) making 114-of-144 from the charity stripe this season.
  • Junior guard Devontae Shuler and sophomore forward Blake Hinson also average in double figures at 11.2 and 10.3 points a game, respectively. Shuler also tops Ole Miss in assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.8 spg), while ranking second in three-point shooting (.340) and minutes a game (33.6).
  • As a team, Ole Miss is outscoring the opposition by 2.2 points per game (69.4-67.2) but has a narrow disadvantage on the boards, getting outrebounded by an average of -0.5 (34.3-34.8) for the year. The Rebels are shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc while allowing the opposition to shoot 41.8 percent from the field and 28.5 percent from three.
  • Head coach Kermit Davis is in his second season at the helm of the Ole Miss program and owns a 33-26 (.559) mark in Oxford. The 2019 SEC Coach of the Year, who is now in his 25th year as a head coach, has compiled a record of 502-289 (.635).
Alabama-Ole Miss ā€“ Series Notes
  • Saturday's game will mark the 181st meeting on the hardwood in series history and the only meeting between the two schools during the regular season. The Tide has won two straight in the series, capturing a 74-53 victory over Ole Miss back on Jan. 22, 2019 inside Coleman Coliseum and later secured a 62-57 win in the SEC Tournament first round on March 14, 2019.
  • With back-to-back wins, the Crimson Tide has improved to a 122-58 lead in the all-time series. The 180 all-time games ranks as the third-most games UA has played against any one opponent in program history, while the 121 victories by the Tide is the second-most victories against an opponent in program lore.
  • Ole Miss is one of three teams, along with Mississippi State (126) and LSU (109), that UA has won 100 or more games against.
  • Alabama will make its third appearance in the Pavilion at Ole Miss. The Tide opened the arena back on Jan. 7, 2015, falling by a final score of 74-66 and also fell in its last trip to Oxford, Miss., 78-66, on Jan. 23, 2017.
  • The Tide has lost seven consecutive games in Oxford, Miss., with its last win coming on Feb. 28, 2009. Alabama had lost its last five games in the Tad Smith Coliseum before losing each of its two games in The Pavilion. The Rebels own an all-time lead of 43-38 in games played against Alabama in Oxford.
  • The Crimson Tide has won four of the last five games in the series entering Saturday's showdown. Prior to Alabama's recent run over the past five games, Ole Miss had beaten the Tide in five of the previous six contests.
  • The series began during the 1920-21 campaign.
 
How does bama lose to an average A&M team at home and beat a team that is likely playing its best basketball at home 103-78? This team does not add up.

BTW I did not get to see the game so no idea what really happened specifically just pondering this teams makeup.
 
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How does bama lose to an average A&M team at home and beat a team that is likely playing its best basketball at home 103-78? This team does not add up.

BTW I did not get to see the game so no idea what really happened specifically just pondering this teams makeup.
I haven't watched last nights game, yet.

To your question, gotta hand that one to Buzz and his scheme. Playing a trap defense like the Aggies did was the right call especially with the lack of ball handlers available.
 

The Crimson Tide used a team effort to put up the most points in an SEC regulation road game in program history


OXFORD, Miss. ā€“ The Alabama men's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack to earn a dominating 103-78 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night. The 103 points was the most scored by the Crimson Tide in a road game that did not go to overtime in program history and the third time this season UA (15-12, 7-7 SEC) has hit the century mark, something that happened a total of three times in the previous nine seasons combined.

Five Alabama players reached double-digits, led by the performance from sophomore Kira Lewis Jr., who earned his second double-double of his career. Lewis ended with 17 points and a game-high 11 assists without a turnover in 33 minutes of action. Junior John Petty Jr. scored a team-leading 21 points, connecting on 8-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond-the-arc, while freshman Jaden Shackelford added 18 points to record his 10th consecutive game of double figures. Junior Alex Reese scored 12 points on the night and freshman Javian Davis added 10.

Ole Miss (13-14, 4-10) was led by Breein Tyree who dropped a game-high 28 points, while Devontae Shuler added 21 points and 7 boards.


Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments

"We set the tone early by playing with a lot of energy and we showed leadership by the way we got ourselves ready to play. I thought our start and the first half was really good. Defensively, we struggled in the second half. I didn't think our defense was great but our offense kept us in it and kept them at bay. Obviously, there were a lot of fouls called on both teams and we got to the rim a lot more ā€“ had a lot more two-point field goals than we did (vs. Texas A&M). I thought Kira was really good on offense but to have the scoring we got with five in double figures, Kira finishing with 11 assists and no turnovers and 25 assists on 37 made field goals. The ball was really moving. We did a good job of attacking their defense. They're one of the better defensive teams in the league. We still have to get a little better on the defensive end, but I thought our guys brought the energy tonight."


Team Stats

  • Alabama has now scored 80 points or better in 15 of its 27 games, just three shy of the school record of 17 set on three separate occasions (1976-77, 1978-79, 1986-87)
  • Alabama shot 56 percent (37-for-66) overall and knocked down 45 percent (13-for-29) of its attempts from beyond the arc
  • The Tide earned a season-high 25 assists on 37 made field goals
  • Lewis accounted for 44 percent (45 total points) of the Tide's scoring output with 17 points scored and assisting on 28 total points with his 11 assists
  • After trailing for the first 3:44, Alabama led for the remainder of the game
  • The Alabama reserves outscored Ole Miss' bench, 31-9
  • Javian Davis sunk his first career three-pointer in the final minute of the game
  • Lewis has scored 10+ points in 25 of Alabama's 27 games

First Half

  • Ole Miss raced out to a 9-2 lead at the 17:43 mark, but a 12-0 surge by the Tide gave Alabama a 14-9 advantage with 14:52 to play in the opening half ā€“ a lead it would not relinquish
  • Both squads traded baskets as Alabama held on to a 24-21 lead with 7:57 left until halftime
  • An 11-3 Crimson Tide run extended Alabama's lead to 35-24 with 4:44 to go until halftime
  • Alabama would maintain its double-digit lead, as the Tide went into the half up 45-31
  • Lewis led Alabama with 11 first half points, while Shackelford contributed eight

Second Half

  • Ole Miss cut the Tide's lead to 56-45 with 14:52 left, but six straight points by Alabama extended its lead to 62-45 with 14:30 remaining
  • After the Rebels trimmed the deficit to 65-52, an 11-4 Alabama run stretched the Tide's lead to 76-56 with 10:01
  • A 5-0 burst from the Rebels cut the Alabama lead to 81-67 but an Alex Reese triple made it 84-67 Alabama with 7:29 to play
  • With 4:05 to go, Alabama held a comfortable 90-70 advantage on the scoreboard
  • Alabama would coast to the 25-point win, its largest victory of the season


The Tide will return to action on Tuesday night as it travels to face Mississippi State. The contest will tipoff at 8 p.m. CT and will be available on SEC Network.
 
That was a nice win, but Ole Miss is a bad basketball team. A win at Ms. State would help matters, but we almost need to win out at this point.
Wait a minute. They have their students surrounding the court and have a new arena.

According to what I've been told those are the two keys missing from Bama: keys to a successful program. And now you're telling me it's all about who they put on the floor last night? šŸ™ƒ
 
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