Second-Half Surge Leads Alabama to Blowout Win over LSU

The Crimson Tide passed the 100-point mark for the first time in SEC play.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball is a on a roll.

Behind an offensive outburst, the Crimson Tide blew out LSU 109-88 Saturday night for its biggest win in SEC play in front of another sold-out Coleman Coliseum crowd.

"Alabama obviously put on an offensive clinic out there tonight," LSU head coach Matt McMahon said after the game. "They just put so much pressure on your defense, and y ou have to be really efficient offensively."

After a tightly-contested first half, Alabama used an 8-0 run seven minutes into the seven half to pull away and never looked back with 59 total points in the second half. The Tigers never got within 14 points after the 8-0 run. 

This was the first time since the Liberty game on Dec. 30 that Alabama crossed the century mark and sixth time this season. 

"It's hard to guard us, especially when everybody's hitting," Alabama guard Aaron Estrada said. "I don't think many teams are going to beat us when we put up 100 points."

Neither team could build any sort of lead or momentum in the first half. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. would hit a big 3-pointer, and then LSU would immediately answer on the other end. Alabama was struggling defensively, but tightened some things up after the break. The Tigers shot nearly 50 percent from the floor in the first half, but Alabama was able to limit them to 35percent in the second half.

Mark Sears only had six points at halftime, and it looked like he was on the way to a slow game, but he went on a scoring tear over the final 10 minutes of the game and ended up leading all scorers with 21 points.

Sears was one of five Alabama players to finish with double-figure scoring alongside Wrightsell, Estrada, Grant Nelson, and Rylan Griffen. Unselfishness was the name of the game for the Crimson Tide on offense with a 23 assists on 34 made baskets, the team’s most assists in SEC play and second-highest total of the season.

It was a phenomenal night at the free throw line for Alabama, where the team finished 25 of 28 (89.3 percent.) Sears was a perfect 11-for-11 while Nelson made all six of his attempts at the stripe. 

The Crimson Tide improves to 14-6 (6-1 SEC) and moves into sole possession of first place in the SEC. Next up, the Crimson Tide travels to Georgia on Wednesday night.

While Alabama head coach Nate Oats is happy with the win, he knows his defense will have to improve if Alabama wants to accomplish some of its major goals for the season, including the regular season SEC championship.

"I do think this is a team that can win it, and we're going after it as hard as we can," Oats said. "But if we don't fix our defense and get the main guys in the rotation that are playing heavy minutes to be as concerned with the defense as the offense, it's going to be really hard to win it."

How it happened...

FINAL: Alabama 109, LSU 88

Second Half 

• 2:10- The walk-ons check in for the Crimson Tide. 

• 3:03- Alabama reaches 100 points for the first time in SEC play on a layup from Dioubate. Tide leads 100-80

• 3:30- Alabama 98, LSU 77
• Mark Sears has really turned it up the last few minutes and now leads all scorers with 21 points. 

• 5:34- Rylan Griffen fouls out with 12 points and 4 rebounds. Alabama leads 94-75

• 7:43- The blowout is underway. Alabama leads LSU 90-69 at the under-8 media timeout, and Sears will be shooting one free throw coming out of the break. Alabama is on pace for its highest scoring output of the season. 

• During the commercial break, it is announced that Rylan Griffen was issued a dead ball technical foul. It is his fourth personal foul. Griffen stays in the game with four fouls. 

• 11:44- Alabama 72, LSU 57
• Dioubate blocks the shot on one end, and finishes it with a slam on the other that brings all of Coleman to its feet. Timeout LSU as the Tide lead is up to 15
• Alabama is on an 8-0 run over the last 1:15 and has made 7 of its last 9 shots from the floor

• 12:25- An and-1 from Aaron Estrada gives Alabama its biggest lead at 70-57

• 13:02- Griffen hits his first 3-pointer since the first basket of the game. It puts the Tide up 67-57

• Alabama has 16 assists on 21 made baskets. 

• 14:55- Alabama 64, LSU 53
• Stevenson found Wrightsell in transition for Wrightsell's fifth 3-pointer of the game to give the Tide its first double-digit lead. 

• Nick Pringle checks in for the first time. 

• 16:00- Alabama 59, LSU 53
• McMahon takes timeout after a 3-pointer from Will Baker. 
• Estrada has seven of Alabama's first nine points in the second half. 

• 16:44- Nelson finds Sears for a layup, and Alabama has its largest lead of the game at 57-48

• 17:52- Sears gets an offensive board, and it leads to an Estrada 3-pointer, Alabama now up 55-48

• 19:15- Alabama doesn't score on its first possession. LSU does. Tigers cut it to 50-46

• Alabama gets the ball to start the second half. Rylan Griffen is on the floor to start the second half, even with three fouls. 

Halftime: Alabama 50, LSU 44

• Even though Alabama leads by 6, Nate Oats will have plenty to talk about at halftime. 

• Defense was seemingly optional in the first half with both teams making almost half their shots from the floor. 

• Latrell Wrightsell Jr. leads all scorers with 14 points. (Statbroadcast had to be udpated. A basket credited to Estrada really belonged to Wrightsell.)

• Alabama only turned it over two times in the first half. Compared to 12 turnovers on 15 made baskets.

First Half

• After review, the basket interference call on LSU was overturned, and the Tigers get another two points retroactively put on the board. 

• 0:42- Matt McMahon takes a timeout as the Tide takes its largest lead at 50-42. The Coleman crowd is really starting to make some noise. 

• 1:12- A layup from Sears ties Alabama's largest lead of the game, 48-42 Crimson Tide

• 3:13- Nate Oats is issued a technical foul after arguing a foul call. Alabama led 41-38 at the time of the call. Jordan Wright hits one of the two technical free throws. Wilkinson makes one of his two free throws for the common foul. LSU cuts the Alabama lead to 41-40

• 3:59- Alabama 39, LSU 36
• Nelson will be at the line shooting two free throws for the Crimson Tide coming out of the break. 
• Every time the fans inside Coleman have tried to get going, LSU has an answer.

• 6:10- Wrightsell hits his third 3-pointer of the game, and Alabama leads 35-32

• 7:36- LSU 32, Alabama 30
• Neither team can build up any type of lead. Alabama's defense continues to struggle. 
• Oats has played every available scholarship tonight except for Nick Pringle. 

• 8:20- Rylan Griffen picks up his third foul. 

• 8:54- A nice pass from Wague to Mark Sears allowed Alabama's leading scorer to snag his first bucket of the night to retake the lead at 28-27.

• 9:47- Alabama 26, LSU 26
• LSU has had an answer for every big shot from the Crimson Tide so far. 
• Alabama has struggled defensively up through the first two media timeouts. 

• Davin Cosby Jr. is getting some early minutes, and he makes the most of it with a 3-pointer to put the Tide ahead 26-20

• 12:20- Nelson is fouled on a 3-pointer and makes all three free throws, Alabama leads 23-20

• 12:55- Jarin Stevenson checks in for the first time and promptly sinks a 3-pointer to give Alabama the lead back at 20-18.

• 13:15- The Tigers take their first lead since the opening basket on  a free throw from Trae Hannibal- LSU 18, Alabama 17

• 13:50- LSU ties the game up at 19-19 on a field goal from Jordan Wright. 

• Sam Walters checks in for Alabama out of the break. 

• 15:49- Alabama 15, LSU 11
• The Tide holds a four-point lead at the first media timeout. 
• Alabama made four of its first five 3-point attempts. 
• Griffen has 3 assists on Alabama's first 5 baskets. 
• Mike Williams III leads LSU with 6 points. 

• 16:09- Mo Dioubate and Mo Wague check in for Alabama before the first media timeout. 

• 16:52- So far, the Tigers have been able to answer Alabama's offensive attacks. Tide still leads 13-10. 

• Great ball movement from Alabama early on. Wrightsell has hit back-to-back 3s, and Alabama leads 9-5.

• 19:00- Griffen hits a 3-pointer to put Alabama ahead 3-2.

• Rylan Griffen draws a charge on Alabama's first defensive possession. 

• LSU wins the opening tip, and this game is underway. 

Starting Lineups

• Alabama is going with a guard-heavy lineup against the Tigers. 

Statbroadcast

Pregame

• Recent Alabama football commit, five-star WR Ryan Williams is sitting in the front row of the student section.

• Tonight is Coaches vs. Cancer night, so coaches for both teams will be wearing suits and sneakers. 

• Tonight's officials: Doug Shows, Owen Shortt and Bharat Ramnanan

How to Watch: Alabama vs LSU

Who: Alabama (13-6, 5-1 SEC) vs. LSU (11-8, 3-3 SEC)

When: Saturday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m. CT

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: ESPN

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Analyst: Bryan Passink). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Series: Alabama leads, 115-75

Last Meeting: On February 4, 2023, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge and came away with a 79-69 win over LSU. Crimson Tide freshmen Noah Clowney and Rylan Griffen led the team with 14 points apiece.

Last Time Out, Alabama: On Wednesday, Alabama got a much-needed win over No. 8 Auburn to secure the team's first signature win of the season. Mark Sears continued his stellar play, leading all scorers with 22 points.

The win moved Alabama to 5-1 in the SEC on the season, and back into a tie for first place in the league standings.

Last Time Out, LSU: The Tigers fell on the road to Georgia in a close 68-66 game after the Bulldogs' Russel Tchewa completed a go-ahead and-one play with two seconds remaining. The loss was LSU's third in its last four games after starting SEC play 2-0.

Alabama Leaders:

• Scoring: Mark Sears (19.9 PPG)
• Rebounding: Grant Nelson (6.1 RPG)
• Assists: Aaron Estrada (3.8 APG)

LSU Leaders:

• Scoring: G Jordan Wright (15.9 PPG)
• Rebounding: G Jordan Wright (5.4 RPG)
• Assists: G Jordan Wright (2.5 APG)

Nate Oats Assesses Jarin Stevenson's Recent Growth