BamaCentral Courtside: Alabama Basketball 72, McNeese State 64

The No. 2 Crimson Tide spoiled McNeese coach Will Wade's return to Coleman Coliseum with a Monday win.

Nov 11, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) splits between McNeese guard Omar Cooper (1) and McNeese forward Bryan Selebangue (9) at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—For the second straight game, a mid-major opponent played the No. 2 Alabama men's basketball team close at Coleman Coliseum. However, in former LSU coach Will Wade's return to the venue, his McNeese State Cowboys (1-2) fell 72-64. Alabama (3-0) has now won each of its past two contests by a single-digit margin following a 56-point thrashing of UNC Asheville in the opener on Nov. 4. The Crimson Tide's first Power Four opponent now awaits Friday in the form of unbeaten No. 13 Purdue, which also serves as Alabama's inaugural road game this season.

Three players scored in double figures, including forward Grant Nelson, who led the team with 22 points. His 16-point first half served as a sparkplug for the team, as McNeese led for more than eight minutes of the opening half. The second half belonged to guard Latrell Wrightsell, who drained four of his five three-pointers in the final 20 minutes and finished with 15 points. He credited his teammates for finding him in open spots.

Alabama struggled in the second half, embarking on scoring droughts and ultimately only putting up 31 during the period. The reigning champions of the Southland Conference tried getting back into things, proving a tough out for the Crimson Tide as a team which made the NCAA Tournament and was a trendy upset pick last season. Wade's squad was able to whittle the deficit down to six with single digits to go, but no further than that. Sincere Parker went 7-for-16 from the field with 19 points as a standout performer for the visiting team even though he's been nursing an injury, according to Wade.

The Crimson Tide's defense played well once more, including the continued improvement of star guard Mark Sears (15 points and three triples on offense). Wade mentioned center Cliff Omoruyi as a game-changer inside, a piece to the puzzle Alabama lacked last season during its Final Four campaign. He got 18 minutes on Monday and grabbed seven rebounds. Once again, though, the Crimson Tide struggled with closing out an opponent. Arkansas State (led by former Alabama assistant coach Bryan Hodgson) managed to tie the game with approximately seven minutes left this past Friday despite, like the Cowboys, having been down double digits in the second half.

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Alabama Basketball Defeats McNeese State Despite Ice-Cold Second Half