No. 6 Alabama suffocates Kent State for tenth win of season

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 6 Alabama picked up its tenth win of the season on Sunday afternoon, beating Kent State by a final score of 81-54.

After coming off the bench last game for a non-basketball-related issue, Labaron Philon was back in the starting lineup in this game, alongside Mark Sears, Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson and Cliff Omoruyi.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The game started about as ugly as you could imagine. The game was scoreless through the first two minutes, and at the first media timeout, the game was tied 2-2. Through that first timeout, the two teams were a combined 1-of-16 from the field, with Alabama’s lone points coming from Sears at the free throw line.

After the slow start, Oats subbed the entire starting five and went to the backups. There was much better flow offensively, without much letdown on the defense end of the floor. Alabama proceeded to go on a methodical 9-0 run, fueled by six points from Derrion Reid.

The run continued, extending to 15-0 before Kent State finally stopped the drought over halfway through the first half. The Crimson Tide led 20-6 at the under-8 timeout despite starting just 1-of-14 from deep, getting most of its production at the rim.

The offense continued to produce at a slow pace due to the poor 3-point shooting percentage and more than a few unforced turnovers, but the defense continued to stay locked in as the half drew to a close.

By halftime, Alabama held a 39-24 lead, as Reid led the way with eight points. The offense struggled to make any shots away from the rim, and turned it over 13 times in the first half for the second consecutive game. It wasn’t very pretty, but they still held a 15-point lead heading into the break.

Alabama opened the second half continuing to attack the paint, which is where it found its most success in the first half. The Crimson Tide scored its first eight points of the second half at the rim. Both teams continued to struggle to score from the field, but Alabama held its lead around the 15-to-17-point mark as the midpoint of the second half approached. The offense looked stagnant, but the defense continued to get stops.

The defense racked up stop after stop, with the team going on another methodical 13-2 run over an elongated six minutes, highlighted by some strong efforts on the class. Both Omoruyi and Nelson recorded double-figure rebounds, as the Crimson Tide nearly doubled up the Golden Flashes on the board. Headed into the under-8 timeout Alabama led by 25, its largest lead of the game.

The next four minutes saw Alabama have its best 3-point shooting run of the game, with Holloway making two and Philon making one. The brief spark pushed the lead out near 30 points, as the defense never let up and stayed consistent throughout the entire game.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Grant Nelson — 9 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks

Mark Sears — 16 points, 2 rebounds

Cliff Omoruyi — 7 points, 12 rebounds 1 block

WHAT’S NEXT

Alabama will close out non-conference play at Coleman Coliseum in one week, taking on South Dakota State at 2 p.m. CT on Dec. 29. The game will air on SEC Network+.

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