🏀 Alabama Improves to 10-0 in SEC Play with a 78-60 Win over LSU

[RTB.com]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 10/7 Alabama men's basketball team begins the second half of the SEC schedule when it takes on LSU inside Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

It is the second meeting between the two teams this season with the first contest coming two weeks ago on Jan. 19, 2021 in Baton Rouge, La. In that contest, the Crimson Tide captured a 105-75 victory over the Tigers. Alabama broke its own SEC record by connecting on 23 three-pointers (23-of-43) en route to the 30-point win inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. It marked the Tide's second-largest margin of victory over LSU in school history.

Most recently, Alabama had its 10-game winning streak snapped when it fell at then-No. 24 Oklahoma, 66-61, last Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge (SEC won the Challenge, 5-4). The Crimson Tide led 60-59 at the final media timeout but was outscored 7-1 over the game's final minutes. The 10 consecutive wins was the longest winning streak since starting the 1996-97 season with 10 straight victories.

Coming into Wednesday night's contest, Alabama (14-4) not only leads the SEC at 9-0 but owns a three-game lead on the league. The Tide is one of three conference leaders across the nation that owns a three-game or more lead on the rest of the league (Houston in the AAC and Belmont in the OVC).

The Broadcast

• Wednesday's game will be available on ESPNU with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (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.

• Game Notes
• Watch Live
• Listen Live
• Live Stats

 

[TerryP]

During the TTU vs LSU game this past weekend I saw the same thing from LSU as I did when Bama visited Baton Rouge: a lot of shit talk. Saturday it was primarily Smart and Watford talking when they had the game well in hand...until that 12-0 run.

If you'll recall it was getting pretty chippy when Bama visited LSU. I'm leary of the same tonight.

Bama is favored by 8 to 8.5 the last time I looked.

 

[1CrimsonTider]

What to know as UA faces LSU rematch



Cecil Hurt

Tidesports.com

No. 7 Alabama basketball (14-4, 9-0 SEC) will attempt to extend its Southeastern Conference winning streak to 10 games when it hosts LSU (11-5, 6-3) on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network) at Coleman Coliseum.

First meeting was a historic rout

Alabama made history in this season’s first meeting on Jan. 19, making its first five 3-point shots after tipoff and finishing with an SEC-record 23 3pointers on 43 attempts in a 105-75 win at LSU. John Petty, Jahvon Quinerly and Josh Primo made an astounding 20 of 25 shots from behind the arc.

The game provided an unforgettable evening for Alabama basketball fans but also set a level of expectations that has been hard to match even in subsequent wins. There is a reason the rare shooting spree made history, after all.

Since then, teams have defended Alabama differently: new scouting reports, the extended absence of center Jordan Bruner and conscious slowing of the game’s tempo has been obvious in the Crimson Tide’s last three games. More aggressive defenders seem to have thrown Quinerly off his rhythm.

Both teams look to regroup from Challenge disappointment Both Alabama and LSU had chances to win last Saturday in their SEC/Big 12 Challenge games but fell against ranked opponents.

The Crimson Tide will hope that it can avoid the sluggish start (especially like the one that let Oklahoma dictate pace of play for much of the game. The Crimson Tide led 60-59 at the final media timeout (3:54) but missed its last six shots, scoring only a lone free throw down the stretch.

That fade hardly compared to LSU’s against Texas Tech. The Tigers led 71-64 with 1:14 remaining and gave up a 12-0 run in the final 74 seconds.

Freshman Cam Thomas is LSU’s leading scorer, but dominates the ball at times with other talented offensive options like Javante Smart and Trendon Watford. Thomas takes 35.5 percent of his team’s shots, by far the highest percentage in the league and well ahead of the second-most prolific shooter, Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. (31.9), even though Pippen has a far less offensive talent around him.

Injury report

Bruner, who had surgery for a torn meniscus in early January, tantalized Crimson Tide fans last week when he took a few shots during the team shootaround before the Kentucky game. However, he is still expected to be out “a few weeks,” Oats said on his Monday night radio show. “The initial four to six weeks looks like it will be accurate, so hopefully two or three more.”

“Herb (Jones) did not practice today,' Oats added on Monday night. “It’s kind of his back and hip have tightened up on him. Our medical staff is working with him. They say he can’t make it worse unless he takes a fall and he hasn’t fallen in the last two games. But you can see his beaten up he is. He’s still better than most guys in the conference at 50 percent, so he will play if he can’t make it

worse.”

 

[1CrimsonTider]

Bama is favored by 8 to 8.5 the last time I looked.

 

[TerryP]

UF -8.5 hosting UofSC?!?! I'm gonna have to see if I can get a piece of that one.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

See if bama has corrected a couple of illnesses....
O rebounding
3 point shooting
Points in paint

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[rick4bama]

ROLL TIDE!!!

 

[mando]

Both teams coming off a loss but Bama is at home. LSU is going to be motivated and it is most likely going to be a much closer game. How does Bama respond? They need to turn it around and play much better than the last 3 games.

 

[BamaFan334]

We absolutely have to win this one in my eyes. This is where we have taken a nosedive in the past. After a tough loss, and three straight games of poor shooting, we absolutely have to get back on track. I'm ok with losing to an Oklahoma team that beat four Top 10 teams in a row and we lost by 5 after shooting in the 30th percentile which is horrible. Makeable shots, not just excellent defense from the opponent. We have to remain cool and not get into a bullshit battle of words with an inferior opponent that is jaded because he chose the money over the right school. I'm excited about this one, but also biting my lip hoping we shoot well. Impossible to do what we did to them last time, but I'm hoping we stick to the fundamentals of Oats offense and knock down some shots.

 

[TerryP]

and it is most likely going to be a much closer game.

...when one wins by 30 in the first game, the chances ...

 

[mando]

...when one wins by 30 in the first game, the chances ...

Yes that is a caption obvious statement . The best game I have ever seen a Bama Basketball team play.

 

[bama alum]

Hitting the layups so far!

 

[rick4bama]

Hitting the layups so far!

Those 3's not coming as easy?

 

[bamanc50]

Those 3's not coming as easy?

2 for 11.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

2-13 now from 3, and it feels like all 11 misses are from the corner.

 

[BamaFan334]

Just left the office to what seems like another cold night from three. We need to get atleast luke warm again. This looks not great. Seeing a little old Alabama with the driving into traffic and turning the ball over. Cone on boys, blow the doors off these suckers.

 

[bamanc50]

41% FG’s and 15% 3’s for 1st half. D got to keep playing big 2nd half if 3’s don’t start falling.

 

[#80]

4th foul on Jones was stupid

 

[bamafan4ever]

Gary stepping up his game lately.