No. 16 Alabama Basketball Pulls Away Late to Sweep LSU in Baton Rouge

The Crimson Tide bounced back from its Wednesday loss with elite offensive play to get back in the win column.

Alabama basketball is back in the win column after winning a high-powered offensive showcase in Baton Rouge, winning by a final score of 109-92.

It was its seventh 100-point game of the season, extending the school record.

The 16th-ranked Crimson Tide needed a win after losing Wednesday’s game on the road at Auburn, and while it still showed some defensive issues, came away with a win to remain tied atop the SEC standings.

The first half went back-and-forth, blow-for-blow in a fireworks show that saw Alabama hold just a 3-point lead at the break despite the Tigers making 59 percent of their first half field goal attempts. LSU’s Will Baker owned the first half, scoring 22 of his 24 points, while Alabama had no answer for him.

For Alabama, forward Nick Pringle provided a massive spark. The senior, who has been suspended twice this year, came off the bench early for Grant Nelson who struggled to guard the interior. He provided tons of effort and ended up totaling 17 points and five rebounds in his 16 minutes.

The second half was much of the same. Alabama jumped out to a 10-point lead, but LSU quickly cut back into it with a run of their own, evening the score before the halfway point of the second half. From there, it was once again back-and-forth, before the Crimson Tide ultimately pulled away with its elite offense.

Leading the way for Alabama was Latrell Wrightsell, who scored a season-high 21 points, and filled the stat sheet with four assists and 10 rebounds.

Next up, the Crimson Tide has a week off. Alabama won’t play again until Saturday, where the Crimson Tide will take on Texas A&M back inside Coleman Coliseum, its first home game in two weeks. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT.

How It Happened:

(most recent update at the top)

Second Half

• Alabama has scored 100 points in a game for the 7th time this season, extending the school record.
• Alabama is pulling away. The Crimson Tide is on a 26-9 run and now leads the game 98-82 with four minutes to go. Excellent response after LSU briefly took the lead a few minutes ago.
• Alabama is maintaining its lead as the home stretch approaches. The Crimson Tide leads 93-82 with just over four minutes to go.
• Alabama is on a 9-0 run over the past two minutes, and now leads by 10.
• Estrada finishes a tough and-one going into the under-8 timeout, giving Alabama a 3-point lead with a free throw on the way. Massive play from the 5th-year senior.
• Just as LSU was getting some momentum, Griffen finishes off a massive lob. Alabama leads 76-73 with 8:36 to go.
• LSU has fought all the way back to tie the game at 71.
• Wrightsell hits a silencer to extend Alabama's lead back to 6. 71-65 at the under-12.
• LSU is on a very quick 8-0 run over the course of a minute, trimming Alabama's lead from 11 to just 3. Alabama leads 68-65 with 12:29 to go.
• Nick Pringle is having one of his best games of the year. Currently has 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor.
• Alabama currently has 11 offensive rebounds to LSU's 4.
• Alabama leads 60-51 at the under-16 timeout after a runout Nelson dunk.
• Another Griffen three extends the Alabama lead to 7, and LSU takes a timeout with 17 minutes to go.
• Alabama opens the half with a made three from Griffen. Alabama leads 52-46. 

First Half

• HALF: Alabama 49, LSU 46 
• Explosive offensive half. Great energy from Nick Pringle on his minutes, while Nelson has had a rough go of it defending the interior. LSU made 59% of its shots from the floor in the first half. The fact that Alabama still leads speaks to its offense.

• Alabama leads LSU 47-42 with 2:41 to go in the first half. The Tigers answer a 7-0 Alabama run with a 5-0 of their own. Pretty clean game, neither team turning it over a lot/in foul trouble. Just a whole lot of made shots.

• Alabama's defense is tightening up a little bit, though it still has no answer for Baker. The Crimson Tide lead is up to 10 after three Wrightsell free throws, bringing him up to 12 points.

• Alabama leads LSU 34-30 at the under-8 timeout of the first half. The Crimson Tide is 7-of-15 from deep, while Pringle has 7 points in 7 minutes of action.

• Alabama is 6-for-10 from 3-point land early, and leads 28-26 with 10:39 to go in the half.

• Grant Nelson has no answer for LSU's Will Baker right now. Baker already up to 13 points.

• Nate Oats subbed Pringle in for Nelson early, and he's done well with his minutes so far. Already a forced turnover, two rebounds (one offensive), and four points.

• Defense optional so far in Baton Rouge. A blistering pace has resulted in an 18-17 LSU lead with 14 minutes to go in the half. Wrightsell leads the Crimson Tide with six points on 2-for-2 shooting from deep.

• Five different Alabama players have scored in the early minutes.

• There's only been one possession in this game so far without a bucket. Alabama trails LSU 9-8 just two minutes in.

• Alabama's first bucket comes from a Wrightsell three in the corner, Alabama leads 3-2.

• LSU scores the first bucket of the game to take a 2-0 lead. 

Pregame

• Alabama sticks with the small-ball starting lineup against LSU: Mark Sears, Aaron Estrada, Latrell Wrightsell, Rylan Griffen, Grant Nelson

• Nate Oats on the CTSN pregame show: "I told the guys this is a championship game. If we lose this one, we're not gonna win it."

• Alabama and LSU are about an hour out from tipoff.

How to Watch: No. 16 Alabama at LSU

Who: No. 16 Alabama (16-7, 8-2 SEC) at LSU (12-10, 4-5 SEC)

When: Saturday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m. CT

Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, La.

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.