Alabama routs Texas A&M to claim 8th SEC Tournament title

Alabama had the best team in the SEC all season. The Crimson Tide finished the deal on Saturday afternoon in Bridgestone Arena.

For the third time in three days in Nashville, head coach Nate Oats guided his team to a double-digit victory as Alabama claimed its eighth SEC Tournament title (1934, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2021, 2023). The Tide completed the double-dip adding a tournament championship to their regular-season championship in the 82-63 victory over No. 2 seed Texas A&M.

Behind 55 combined points from Brandon Miller and Jahvon Quinerly that included eight three-point field goals, Alabama claimed an early 16-7 lead just over four minutes into the game and never looked back. There was not one lead change in the game.

THE BEST PLAYER IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL!

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— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) March 12, 2023

Alabama shot 41 percent from the floor, poured in 12 three-point makes, held Texas A&M to 30 percent shooting while owning the rebound battle (50-37). The Tide will head into the Big Dance with a 29-5 record that included a 19-2 mark in SEC play.

For the second time in three seasons under Oats, Alabama has won both the regular season and SEC Tournament title in the year. Bama will be a No. 1 seed when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Sunday evening which will likely include a Birmingham-Louisville path to get to the Final Four.

For the second consecutive season, Texas A&M falls one game short of an SEC Tournament title. Dexter Dennis led A&M with 14 points and five rebounds. Buzz Williams and his team will leave Nashville with a 25-9 record, but this year the Aggies have an at-large bid to the Big Dance locked up.

A&M is now 0-3 in their three SEC Tournament championship game appearances since joining the league with losses to Kentucky (2016), Tennessee (2022), and Alabama (2023). The Aggies end the season with 17 SEC wins as this program is now 24-4 in its last 28 conference games dating back to last season.