Second-half surges from Mark Sears, Grant Nelson lift Alabama over Georgia

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 4 Alabama led Georgia, 39-28, at halftime on Saturday afternoon at Coleman Coliseum. But two of the Crimson Tide’s most experienced players went to the locker room at intermission with nearly as many turnovers as they had points scored.

Mark Sears (7 points) and Grant Nelson (5) combined for seven turnovers in the first half versus the Bulldogs, as Alabama lost the ball 12 times at the break. After halftime, they woke up and only turned it over twice in the second half to lead the Tide to a 90-69 win.

Sears scored 13 points in the final 20 minutes to finish with a game-high 20 points, while Nelson added 11 in the second half and ended up with a double-double (10 rebounds). Both veterans concluded with one turnover apiece, as Alabama stormed to a home victory.

“I thought those guys kind of set the tone,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “I thought this was the hardest Sears has played. I told him, it’s good to see. I thought he had some turnovers. He sprinted back, made tough plays on D, didn’t sulk, didn’t pout. His leadership, the effort he gave tonight I think really helped set the tone for how the team’s supposed to look.

“… I think their attitudes and their intentions were really good in the first half. The turnovers were just killing us.”

The Tide’s top two players combined to score 24 of the team’s 51 points in the second half.

Sears finished the win with 20 points, six assists and five rebounds, marking his first 20-point game since the Vanderbilt game on January 21. His six turnovers were a season-high, though, and Oats used that as a second-half coaching moment for the All-American.

“I told Mark in the second half – I think he had one turnover, I think he had five at the half and only had one in the second half – ‘This is actually great. You’re kind of struggling a little bit on offense,’” Oats said. “He still ends up with 20 even though he struggled. Didn’t shoot it great. Goes 6-of-14, didn’t miss a free throw. But struggled a little bit in his mind, for sure, if you count turnovers and the shooting on offense. 

“But it never really affected his effort on defense, which I think is an enormous jump for him, which is the jump we’ve been looking for him to make. So super happy with him.”

Nelson recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and he also blocked five shots in 26 minutes of game action. After the game, Oats said Nelson is the only SEC player this season with his stat line while playing under 30 minutes.

“I thought Grant’s effort was outstanding,” Oats said. “To have five blocks; our team had nine blocks. They just kind of force-feed it inside, and I think he kind of stood his ground, made some blocks in there on some of that stuff. Sixteen, 10 and five is a pretty good night for him.”

Alabama hasn’t had great starts to the second half, and Georgia actually out-scored the Tide, 6-2, to begin the final 20. But Nelson and Sears combined to score the first 15 points for UA to open the second half of play and led the charge for Alabama’s 19th victory of the year.

“Just attacking the mismatches,” said Sears of what changed after halftime. “I feel like we did a very good job. Grant brought Asa out to the perimeter. He blew by him a few times. I was able to get downhill versus Cain. So we just started playing versus mismatches.”

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