No. 4 Alabama routs Georgia, moves to 8-1 through half of SEC play

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 4 Alabama took care of business on Saturday afternoon, routing Georgia 90-69. The win moves Alabama to 19-3 on the season with an 8-1 mark through the first half of SEC play.

Alabama went with the same starters for the third straight game, beginning the game with Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood, Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson and Cliff Omoruyi.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Alabama got a really nice start from Omoruyi, who was incredibly active on both ends in the opening minutes. He had two points, four rebounds and a block at the game’s first media timeout, with the Crimson Tide holding a slim 8-6 lead.

Working in the bench for the next 4-minute stretch, Alabama got some big-time production from backup center Aiden Sherrell. He scored eight points including two made 3-pointers during an 11-0 Crimson Tide run, pushing Alabama’s lead to 21-10 at the under-12 timeout.

Turnovers began to plague Alabama, racking up nine as a team by the time the under-8 timeout hit, keeping the lead from being any larger than it already was. A 5-minute scoring drought for the Tide coincided with a 6-0 Georgia run, cutting the lead down to eight points nearly three-quarters of the way through the first half.

Georgia got the lead as low as five points as the first half drew to close, but a strong end to the half and a number of trips to the free throw line helped Alabama push the lead back out to double figures at the break. It wasn’t the Tide’s best offensive half by any means, turning the ball over 12 times.

The defense, however, had an excellent first half. Georgia was held to 27 percent shooting from the floor, while the Bulldogs’ best player, Asa Newell, shot just 1-for-8 from the floor thanks to some tough interior defense from Sherrell and others. Alabama entered the locker room with a 39-28 lead.

The second half started with a blazing pace for both teams, flying up and down the court and scoring with ease. Georgia outscored Alabama 12-11 over the first 4-minute stretch of the second half, with Alabama leading 50-40 at the under-16. It was a nice start to the second half for Nelson, who scored the Tide’s first seven points out of the break.

The Bulldogs kept fighting, but the floodgates started to open when Georgia coach Mike White got called for a technical foul, getting the Coleman Coliseum crowd into it. Alabama went on a 7-0 run following the tech, pushing the lead to 59-43 and prompting a Georgia timeout.

Over the next 4-minute stretch Alabama put its stamp on the game, extending the lead with an extended run fueled by defensive stops and runouts in transition. White needed another timeout with just under eight minutes to go in the game, as Alabama’s lead had grown to 73-50, its largest of the game.

By the time the under-4 timeout game, Alabama still held a 20-point lead, and it was smooth sailing until the final buzzer.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Mark Sears — 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists

Grant Nelson — 16 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks

Aiden Sherrell — 12 points, 7 rebounds

WHAT’S NEXT

Alabama has its midweek bye this coming week after completing the first half of its SEC schedule. The Crimson Tide will be back in action next Saturday, taking on Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.