No. 2 Alabama escapes Arkansas State at home
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 2 Alabama narrowly escaped Arkansas State at home on Friday night, winning by a final score of 88-79 in an ugly game that was much closer than the score indicated, full of plenty of fouls and even more missed shots. The win moves Alabama to 2-0 on the season.
The game was a homecoming of sorts for Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson, who coached at Alabama under Nate Oats from 2019-2023.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Crimson Tide kept the same starters as last game, going with Mark Sears, Labaron Philon, Derrion Reid, Jarin Stevenson and Cliff Omoruyi as its first unit. That brought Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell, both of whom were starters last season, off the bench for the second straight game.
It was an ugly start, with Arkansas State fouling Alabama eight times before the first media timeout. The Crimson Tide struggled badly at the free throw line, making just five of its first 11 attempts. Those free throw struggles continued throughout the first half, keeping Alabama from being able to truly pull away despite plenty of attempts to do so.
The Crimson Tide led by as many as 16 in the first half, but that lead got trimmed to just three points at the break. Inability to hit open threes and free throws kept the lead from being extended, and defensive breakdowns followed as Arkansas State outscored Alabama 17-5 in the final six minutes of the first half.
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In the second half, Alabama started to get into a better groove offensively, even though the shots didn’t fall at the rate they would have liked. But the fouls kept coming from Arkansas State defensively, and the free throws didn’t drop at an acceptable rate either.
Arkansas State fought all the way back to tie the game at 68 with just under seven minutes to go, but the Crimson Tide defense dug in late. A 7-0 run just before the under-4 timeout, spurred on by excellent defensive effort, gave Alabama a lead it would never surrender.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
– Grant Nelson – 12 points, 6 rebounds
– Mark Sears – 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
– Cliff Omoruyi – 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
WHAT’S NEXT
Alabama has just two days off before hosting McNeese State on Monday night. The Cowboys made the NCAA Tournament last season, and are led by former LSU head coach Will Wade, who Oats has plenty of history with. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. CT and air on SEC Network.
