Why didn't Mark Sears play in second half of LSU game?
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 4 Alabama defeated LSU, 80-73, on Saturday night, but the Crimson Tide won its 17th game of the 2024-25 season with its All-American guard on the bench.
Mark Sears did not play the entire second half of the home game. The fifth-year senior started the league matchup but did not score in 17 first-half minutes, shooting 0-for-5 from the floor. He opened the second half on the bench, with Aden Holloway replacing him.
After the 7-point win, Alabama head coach Nate Oats explained why Sears didn’t play.
“We just played the guys we thought gave us the best chance to win in the second half,” Oats said after the game.
Sears entered Saturday night’s game against LSU averaging 19.0 points and 4.9 assists while shooting 40.4 percent from the field. This marked the second game of the season that Sears had been held scoreless (Illinois on Nov. 20). In the 14 games in between, Sears scored in double figures every night and reached the 20-point mark in 11 of those contests.
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Sears wasn’t the only starter who wasn’t on the floor to begin the second half. Cliff Omoruyi also watched from the bench after intermission. But Omoruyi saw the court late, playing 14 of his 23 minutes over the final 20. The transfer center scored four points and pulled down seven rebounds during the second half. Oats wants Sears to respond in similar fashion.
“The same response Cliff gave us in the second half – be all about doing the stuff we need to win basketball games,” Oats said.
Alabama will next travel to Mississippi State on Wednesday, Jan. 29 (8 p.m. on SEC Network).
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