No. 2 Alabama downs McNeese State to start season 3-0
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 2 Alabama won another tight game against a talented mid-major on Monday night, beating McNeese State, the preseason favorites to win the Southland Conference, by a final score of 72-64.
The game was a return to Coleman Coliseum for McNeese head coach Will Wade, who coached at LSU from 2017-22 and had multiple memorable battles with Alabama head coach Nate Oats.
Alabama made a change in tonight’s starting lineup, going with Mark Sears, Labaron Philon, Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson, and Cliff Omoruyi. Nelson made his first start of the season, replacing Derrion Reid, who started the previous two games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
McNeese jumped out to a quick start in this one, mixing in a number of different defensive looks and giving Alabama some issues with it. The Cowboys used both a man and a zone press, as well as man and zone defenses in the halfcourt all in the first few minutes, and the confusion resulted in a 12-7 McNeese lead a few minutes into the game.
After some subs, Alabama settled in. The Crimson Tide went on a 15-2 run over 5-and-a-half minutes highlighted by some excellent defensive possessions to push the lead out, with Nelson being the primary offensive catalyst.
Nelson was dominant everywhere in the first half. He cleaned up putbacks on the glass, finished well inside, and made multiple shots from beyond the arc even after starting the game 0-for-2. He finished the half with 16 points, the most of any player in the game by a wide margin.
After the run, Alabama kept McNeese at arm’s length for the remainder of the half, entering the break with an 11-point lead.
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The Crimson Tide came out firing in the second half, with Wrightsell knocking down two quick threes forcing Will Wade to call a timeout just three minutes into the half.
The Alabama lead got as high as 21 points, but a 3-minute scoring drought for the Crimson Tide led to a 9-0 run for the Cowboys, getting them right back into the game. The offensive struggles continued as the ball stuck and the overall flow was clunky well into the second half, with McNeese cutting the lead as low as six points.
The Cowboys’ Sincere Parker went unconscious, knocking down shot after shot in the second half to keep McNeese in the game until the final minutes. The Crimson Tide stayed consistent defensively, getting just enough stops and scoring just enough buckets to keep McNeese at arm’s length until the final buzzer.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Grant Nelson – 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Mark Sears – 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists
Latrell Wrightsell – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
WHAT’S NEXT
After three games against mid-majors for Alabama, it’s about to get a lot tougher. The Crimson Tide will head north to take on No. 13 Purdue in Mackey Arena at 6 p.m. this Friday. It will be the first of seven straight games against high-major opponents for Alabama, as Oats has set up some major tests for his team early in the season.
