The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team began SEC play on Saturday with a 78-75 victory over Vanderbilt, after beginning the regular season with an 8-5 record.
In the first half, Alabama, which, according to KenPom, came into the game with the best offense in the nation, proceeded to demonstrate its wide range of weaponry.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., a guard, continued his excellent play against Liberty, scoring 11 points in the first half on 3-5 shooting from outside the arc. He did not, however, score any goals in the second half.
Guard Rylan Griffen, who scored 11 of his 16 points before halftime, contributed to the Crimson Tide’s offensive surge in the first half.
Before Alabama’s 14-2 run in the middle of the half, the game was tight for the majority of the first half. During the half, the Crimson Tide had a lead of up to 18. But Vanderbilt put on a 21-7 run to close the half, lowering Alabama’s advantage to just 4. At halftime, the score was 40-36.
“After the game, I didn’t think we did a great job of closing either half,” stated Alabama head coach Nate Oats. “Almost the final five minutes of the first half were scoreless for us.”
Much of the second half saw Alabama contain the Commodores. Vanderbilt would make a move to expand their advantage as soon as they had some momentum.
Guard Mark Sears held off the Commodores with a fantastic second-half performance. Of his 21 points, 14 came in the first half, and several of them were made elegantly. Along with his three assists and four rebounds, he ended first among the Crimson Tide in turnovers with six.
After the game, Sears stated, “I’m just trying to come in and lead us to wins.”
Nonetheless, Vanderbilt produced its own heroics in the second half when rookie guard Jason Rivera-Torres ignited the Commodores. In the second half, he scored 17 of his 20 points, shooting 7-9 from the field. The Bronx native willingly forced his team back into the game on his own, showing no fear in his first SEC encounter.
With Sears and Rivera-Torres trading blows, it seemed as though the Crimson Tide would triumph in Nashville by ticking off time. With just over 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Alabama led by 7 points.
But as the time got closer to zero, a string of missed Alabama free throws and fast baskets by the Commodores threatened to spoil the Crimson Tide triumph.
With five seconds remaining, Vanderbilt narrowed the margin to only two, but Alabama won the game with three points thanks to a free-throw shooting performance.
“We need to improve as a team on Tuesday, but we’ll take a win today because it’s a road win in the SEC,” said Oats.
Alabama currently anticipates
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