Alabama basketball stays perfect in SEC play with win over Mizzou

The Alabama men’s basketball team is now 12-5 on the season while also being a perfect 4-0 in conference play. That comes on the heels of the Crimson Tide’s impressive 93-75 victory over Missouri, which fell to 8-9 (0-4 SEC) with the loss on Tuesday night.

How It Happened

There were multiple points in the first half when Alabama was able to take a respectable lead (anywhere between 6-9 points), but Missouri kept battling back to keep it close. With four consecutive points to close the first 20 minutes, the Tigers only trailed 34-36, and that continued through the first 6.5 minutes of the second (48-47 UA with 13:44 left to play).

Alabama then went on a 7-0 run to extend its lead, and from that point forward, it continued to stack on that lead for the remainder of the game. Over the last 3.5 minutes or so, the Crimson Tide outscored Mizzou 19-8 to come away with a sizable 18-point win to move to 4-0 in the SEC. UA converting almost 50% of its three-point attempts (13-of-27) certainly helped, especially down the stretch as they were tryng to create some separation.

Players of the Game

Rylan Griffen and Aaron Estrada were easily the players of the game on Tuesday night. Veteran Mark Sears somewhat struggled in this one, as it was the first time this season that he failed to score double-digit points (9). That came while shooting just 30% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Griffen and Estrada more than made up for his struggles though.

They each scored a game-high 21 points while combining for 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. Griffen was the better deep threat, hitting 5-of-7 (71.4%) from three-point range, but I’d argue that Estrada was the more well-rounded player. Not only did he tie for a game-high 21 points, but he also had a game-high eight rebounds while also adding four assists, two steals and a block. The Hofstra transfer seems like a key piece in what makes Alabama tick.

Griffen knocked down some big time shots when it mattered though, including back-to-back three’s with 3:35 left that took the lead from 74-67 to 80-67.

I also thought Grant Nelson played better, too. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks. That means over his last two games, the former North Dakota State standout has averaged double-digit points (11) while also averaging 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. And while others handling more of the scoring roles, this seems to be more of a sweet spot for the 6-foot-11, 230-pound senior.

Key Stats

Alabama was simply a better team on the glass tonight. The Crimson Tide out-rebounded Missouri 35-23 while also scoring 17 second-chance points to only seven for the Tigers. Not only that, but UA also dominated the lead time. Out of a possible 40 minutes, they lead for 35 minutes and 40 seconds. So while things were kept close for awhile, they never felt out of control. I also loved the 18 assists from the Tide. You saw good ball movement and guys knocking down shots. That’s big.

What’s Next

Alabama is perfect through its first four SEC games, but Saturday’s matchup against Tennessee will present an entirely different challenge. The Vols are 13-4 (3-1 SEC) on the year with all four losses being by fewer than 10 points. That may not seem all that impressive, but three of those were to current top-5 teams in Purdue (No. 2), Kansas (No. 3) and North Carolina (No. 4). Tipoff for that road matchup in Knoxville is set for 1 p.m. CT, and it will air on ESPN.

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