Mark Sears Leads No. 17 Alabama Basketball to 99-91 Victory Over Oregon

Alabama Crimson Tide point guard Mark Sears was a threat as a scorer, playmaker and defender against the Oregon Ducks.

No. 17 Alabama basketball defeated Oregon 99-91 in the the Emerald Coast Classic on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide was upset by Ohio State on Friday after scoring a season-low 81 points and allowed a season-high 92. Losing your first game of the season can create a momentum shift among a roster, especially when you play a 4-1 team the very next day. However, Crimson Tide point guard Mark Sears made sure that wouldn't be the case.

The senior finished the game with team highs in points (27--season high) and steals (3), but also recorded seven rebounds and three assists. Nevertheless, he made several plays that didn't show up in the stat sheet.

Sears and company finished the first half up 47-39, which was the Tide's largest lead at the time. Sears ended the period with just two assists, but he often moved the ball inside to send his teammates to the line. This method worked early on, as the Tide were in the bonus with a bit over eight minutes remaining and converted on six more free throws than the Ducks.

Additionally, Sears made a big contribution to Alabama's efficient shooting percentages in the first 20 minutes, as he hit on 4-of-5 attempts, including 1-for-1 from behind the arc, and also made all four of his free throws.

Sears continued his stellar outing in the second half, as he often moved quickly with the ball and set players up in the paint once again. That being said, the Crimson Tide missed some shots after Sears' passes, but more than made up for it by tallying 16 offensive rebounds and scoring on the second chance.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has instilled a three-point culture on his team since he arrived in Tuscaloosa, and the play-style has been the main foundation to their success over the past couple of years.

Sears and Alabama finished the game shooting 9-of-24 from downtown, which is slightly below its average percentage. But they didn't really need to score from deep range, as fellow guard Aaron Estrada had most of his 22 points from inside the arc.

Alabama never really had an extremely comfortable lead due to losing the turnover battle, and Oregon made it a six-point game with only a couple minutes left. But Sears, Estrada and Rylen Griffen were able to close it out with even more free throws and clutch layups.

Live Updates Alabama Basketball vs Oregon Ducks at Emerald Coast Classic