No. 13 Alabama Basketball Survives in Overtime to Stay On Top of SEC

The Crimson Tide erased a 10-point second-half deficit to keep its home SEC winning streak alive.

The No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide showed its competitive character by defeating the No. 24 Florida Gators 98-93 in overtime on Wednesday night in Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama, looking to keep its 15-game home SEC winning streak alive, erased a 10-point second half deficit to stay on top of the conference standings with just five games remaining in the season.

"We can reference back to when we didn't shoot well. Honestly, we didn't play well in a lot of areas and still found a way to win against a good team. This is a team that was as hot as any in this league. You've got the number nine ranked offense in the country. Shoot, we didn't do a great job on defense. We probably made them look even better than the number nine offense in the country and we still figured out ways to win," said Alabama head coach Nate Oats after the game. 

The Crimson Tide converted 11-percent of its 3-point attempts in the first half, but it was two deep makes from freshman Sam Walters in the second half sparked Alabama into its comeback.

Two minutes later, with Alabama still trailing, it was leader Mark Sears striking for his first make from deep of the game to give the Tide a 77-76 lead. 

The teams battled back and forth but closed the second half all tied up at 85.

The nation’s top offense came opened the overtime period on a 7-0 run and Alabama never looked back to secure the win.

Alabama, playing short handed as guard Latrell Wrightsell was held out with a head injury, still had six different players score in double figures as balanced offense has become a staple of this season’s team.

Grant Nelson led Alabama in scoring on Wednesday with 22 while Aaron Estrada chipped in 20 with eight rebounds and eight assists to nearly have a triple double. In fact, the Hofstra transfer got the game sealing bucket as he converted an offensive rebound for a bucket with seven seconds remaining in overtime.

The Crimson Tide moves to 19-7 with an 11-2 record in the SEC and holds onto a one game lead over Tennessee in the conference standings with a win. 

Alabama is back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. as they travel to Lexington to take on the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats.

 

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The No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program looks to extend its SEC home winning streak to 16 in a row as they welcome the No. 24 Florida Gators on Wednesday night. 

The Gators have won seven of their last eight contests dating back to the end of January. They boast big wins over Kentucky in Lexington and Auburn at home in the last month and find themselves in fifth place in the SEC standings. 

Alabama head coach Nate Oats is 3-1 all-time against the Gators during his tenure in Tuscaloosa, having only lost his initial game against Florida 104-98 in Gainesville in 2020. 

The Crimson Tide enter the midweek contest as an 8.5-point favorite as they seek to stay on top of the conference standings with just six games remaining. 

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OVERTIME: 

• :10 - Aaron Estrada scores off an offensive rebound to give Alabama a 3-point lead. A Florida foul seals the deal.
• :35 - Alex Condon makes an awkward bucket for Florida and the Gators trail by just one point. Alabama isn't out of the woods just yet. 
• 1:14 - Rylan Giffen goes to the free throw line after missing an offensive outback. 
• Alabama has out rebounded Florida 52-43 tonight, with a 20-17 offensive board advantage. 
• 1:54 - Nick Pringle fouls out. Pringle finishes with 13 points and 8 rebounds. 11 second half points for Pringle to keep the Tide in the contest. 
• 2:28 - Walter Clayton Jr. makes it to the free throw line for Florida to give the Gators their first points of the overtime period. Alabama 92-87. 
• 2:43 - Aaron Estrada makes a bunny in the paint and Alabama is on a 7-0 run to open overtime. Impressive. This marks the Crimson Tide's biggest lead of the night. Alabama 92-85. 
• 3:22 - Rylan Griffen makes his second 3-point bucket of the night and Alabama goes up by five. 
• 4:10 - Nick Pringle pulls down a huge rebound over two Florida defenders. Huge moment for momentum as Alabama comes down the floor up by two. 
• 4:43 - The OT period is started with an Alabama offensive rebound and an Estrada make. Alabama takes the lead. 
• 5:00 - Back to the beginning. Five minutes on the clock. The Coleman crowd is on the edge of its seat.

Second Half: 

• :00 - Mark Sears got to the hoop but was unable to convert at the hole. FREE BASKETBALL IN COLEMAN. 
• :14 - The officials are reviewing possession but it looks like Alabama ball.
• :14 - Alabama has a chance to win the game on the final possession. Game is tied 85-85.
• :54 - Mark Sears goes to the free throw line as the Tide is again down two points. 
• 1:23 - Grant Nelson converts from close range and has a chance to tie the game at the free throw line. Nelson has 13 points on the night. His free throw is good and the game is tied.
• 2:08- The officials waive off the goaltending call, giving the lead back to Florida at 81-80.
• 2:08 - The officials are reviewing a goaltending call that could go in Alabama's favor. The Crimson Tide has an 82-81 lead depending on this call. 
• 4:19 - Mark Sears gives the Crimson Tide a lead with a 3-point make. Alabama 77-76.
• 5:02 - MEDIA TIMEOUT.
• Florida leads 76-74. 
• Alabama leading the rebounding battle 42-37.
• The Crimson Tide has a 15-game SEC home winning streak on the line. 
• 5:25 - Mark Sears cashes in from deep and that's two in a row for Alabama. The Florida lead is back to just 4 points. 
• 7:27 - MEDIA TIMEOUT.
• Florida leads 72-66.
• Walter Clayton Jr. leads all scorers with 21 points. 
• Alabama is now 4-21 from beyond the arc. 
• Florida has converted 13 offensive rebounds for 18 second-chance points. 
• 8:32 - Florida restretches the lead to 10 after Walter Clayton Jr. makes another 3-point shot. The Crimson Tide's defense has been out of sort the entire night. Gators lead 72-62.
• 9:51 - The crowd was ready to explode but Walters couldn't make it three 3-pointers in a row. 
• 10:21 - Walters with back-to-back 3-point makes. Alabama trails by five and the Coleman crowd rises to its feet. 
• 10:57 - Sam Walters made Alabama's first 3-point basket of the half and the third of the game. Florida still leads 63-57. 
• 12:00 - Grant Nelson is called for basket interference. This game has been like sitting in a dentist chair from an Alabama perspective. Florida still leads 60-54.
• 12:16 - Alabama hasn't attempted a 3-pointer in the second half. Not exactly Nate Oats basketball being played in Coleman Coliseum. 
• 13:16 - Walter Clayton Jr. get to the hoop with ease for an and-one opportunity. The Gators lead grows again to 4 points. 
• 13:34 - A few stops is all you needed from an Alabama perspective. Nick Pringle slams home a pass from Mark Sears and the Tide now trails by one. Florida 55-54. 
• 13:57 - A turnover leads to an Estrada runout and the Tide cuts the Florida lead to one point once again. 
• 15:40 - An alley-top to Nick Pringle may start to swing momentum. Can Alabama get a stop? 
• 15:59 - MEDIA TIMEOUT.
• Florida leads 51-46.
• The Gators have scored on four of its seven second half possessions.
• 16:32 - Aaron Estrada dances and gets himself open at the rim for a pretty two pointer. The offense continues to go back and forth between the two programs. Can Alabama get enough defensive stops to win this game?
• 17:56 - You don't want to be downhill on Grant Nelson. He drops a tomahawk dunk over a Florida defender. His second of those tonight and Coleman is now. LOUD. Tie game. 
• 20:00 - Alabama opens with the ball down five after hitting just two 3-point shots in the first half. 

Halftime: 

• The Coleman Coliseum crowd boos the officials off the floor at halftime. 

First Half: 

• Halftime: Florida 41, Alabama 37. 
• :19 - Florida gets the last possession after a rebound goes out of bounds.
• 1:50 - Mark Sears converts at the rim again to cut the lead to again down two but the Tide just keeps getting beat on the defensive end and Walter Clayton Jr. scores with ease. Florida 41-37.
• 3:18 - Rylan Griffen scores his first points of the game from the free-throw line as Alabama gets to within two points. The Tide immediately has a defensive breakdown underneath allowing the Gators to re-stretch the lead to two possessions. 
• 3:47 - MEDIA TIMOUT.
• Florida leads 33-28.
• Alabama shooting 1-15 from the 3-point land.
• Walter Clayton Jr. has 9 points for Florida
• Grant Nelson has 9 points for Alabama.
• Alabama leading the rebounding category 24-19.
• 4:55 - Grant Nelson bullies his way to the hoop and scores to bring his tally up to 9 points. The Coleman crowd is on its feet as the Tide has been floundering a bit lately. Florida 32-28.
• 6:20 - Sam Walters makes one of his most impressive physical plays, pulling down an offensive rebound and putting it back in for two. Florida 30-24.
• 7:07 - Denzel Aberdeen is called for the Gators fourth foul of the half. The officials have done a good job letting each side play as there have only been nine fouls called all game.
• 7:44 - MEDIA TIMEOUT.
• Florida leads 27-22.
• The Coleman Coliseum crowd is getting restless with the officiating. 
• Alabama just 1-12 from beyond the arc. 
• The Crimson Tide actually holds a 17-15 rebounding edge over the Gators.  
• 8:41 - Mouhamed Dioubate is called for a flagrant foul after review. Florida makes both its free throws and keeps the ball. The Gators have a 24-20 lead. 
• 8:41 - The Crimson Tide comes down with another offensive board but is turned over under the rim. Alabama shooting just 35-percent from the floor, struggling to score. 
• 9:25 - Alabama actually has a 6-4 offensive rebounding advantage but has been just 4-8 from layups, leaving points on the table. Florida leads 22-20.
• 10:29 - Alabama has really done an impressive job on the boards, tied with Florida at 13 a piece. If the Crimson Tide could eliminate some defensive miscues they would have a significant lead.
• 11:12 - Both Mo's check in for the Tide to give some of the Alabama starters relief. 
• 11:12 - MEDIA TIMEOUT. 
• Florida leads 20-18
• Walter Clayton Jr. leads Florida with 6 points.
• Grant Nelson leads Alabama with 7 points.
• Alabama has started 1-9 from the 3-point line.
• Florida has a slight rebounding edge 12-11, but both are tied 4-4 on the offensive glass.
• 11:40 - Aaron Estrada gets steal and converts a layup as this game has gone back and forth through the first half. 
• 12:40 - Mark Sears gets himself on the board by finishing through contact. There's been no TV timeout so far and the players are feeling it a little it seems. 
• 14:07 - Sam Walters makes his first 3-point shot and its the first make from deep for Alabama. Tide has started 1-6 from beyond the arc. Alabama 12-11. 
• 14:40 - Florida retakes the lead on a fast break. The offensive pace has been electric so far. 
• 16:14 - Nelson keeps it going with another dunk and he's up to 7 now for the Tide. Alabama 7-4. 
• 17:20 - Dear lord Grant Nelson just woke up the Coleman crowd with a pump-fake and drive resulting in a tomahawk dunk. He's been the offense so far and has all 5 Alabama points. 
• 18:48 - A tough start for Alabama as the Tide starts 0-3 at the floor, but two offensive rebounds are a good sign against a physical Florida team. Alabama 1-0.
• 19:45 - A spotlight stays on the Alabama bench as the game begins, shades of more light issues in Coleman Coliseum. 

Pregame:

• A few Alabama football players are signing autographs before the game gets tipped off as well as the Alabama soccer team.

Malachi Moore, Deontae Lawson and Tim Smith sign autographs with the Alabama Soccer team before the Alabama basketball game pic.twitter.com/ccoro3baKe

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) February 21, 2024

• Florida Starters:
• Walter Clayton Jr. 
• Will Richard
• Zion Pullin
• Tyrese Samuel
• Micah Handlogten

• Alabama Starters: 
• Mark Sears
• Aaron Estrada
• Rylan Griffen
• Jarin Stevenson
• Grant Nelson

• It certainly doesn't feel like a game's about to tip-off in Coleman Coliseum. After three straight Saturday home games and an Auburn midweek game producing electric atmospheres it appears the 6 p.m. tipoff time has slowed the arrival of the Crimson Tide faithful

• Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell will miss tonight's game with a head injury, per a UA spokesperson. Wrightsell averages 9 points per game and has been a starter for the Crimson Tide for the past month of the season.

• Tonight's Officials: 
• K.B. Burnett
• Joe Lindsay
• Brian Dorsey

• Alabama starter Rylan Griffen was wearing a bandaid over his left eye during warmups. There was no sign of fellow Crimson Tide starter Latrell Wrightsell. 

Alabama starter Rylan Griffen is wearing a bandaid over his left eye in warmups. pic.twitter.com/EHY9L8wjTU

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) February 21, 2024

• The game tips off at 6 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN2
• Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
• Analyst: Jimmy Dykes

Notes You Need To Know

• Since head coach arrived at Alabama in 2019-20, the Crimson Tide has won a league-best 59 SEC contests

• Alabama is 16-21 against AP Top-25 opponents under Oats

• The Crimson Tide has won 15 straight SEC home games at Coleman Coliseum, the longest winning streak since 1988

• Alabama has scored 100-plus points in eight games this season, the most by an SEC school since Kentucky's 1995-96 team (nine games)

• Over the last five seasons, the Crimson Tide has posted 10 games converting 18 or more three-pointers in a game, the rest of the SEC has a combined five games during that span

• UA is the first Division I team in 25 years to make at least 18 two-point field goals and 18 three-pointers in consecutive conference games

• has scored 20-plus points in eight straight games, the longest streak by an Alabama player in the last 20 seasons

• Sears is one of two Division I players and the only Power 5 player that has 510 points, 105 rebounds, 95 assists and 60 three-pointers this season

• Sears has recorded 20 points or more in 16 games this season, the most since Collin Sexton in 2017-18 (16 games)

• Sears ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring (20.6 ppg), No. 6 in field goal percentage (51.6) and No. 8 in assists (4.0 apg)

• Alabama is one of three schools (Purdue and Wright State) in the country that has two players on its current roster that have scored at least 1,700 points throughout their career in Sears (1,868 points) and (1,794 points)

About Florida

• Florida is in the AP Top-25 Poll (No. 24) for the first time in more than two years.

• The Gators' 18 wins this season has surpassed last year's win total (16) and is one win away from matching last year's win total (9) during SEC play

• Florida is grabbing a Division I-best 44.2 rebounds per game

• Florida ranks No. 2 in the country in offensive rebounds per game (16.1 rpg) behind Texas A&M (18.0 rpg)

• The Gators are scoring 84.8 points per contest, which ranks No. 9 in Division I

• Zyon Pullin ranks No. 2 in the country in assist/turnover ratio (4.1)

• Pullin has scored double-figures in every game this season

• Tyrese Samuel has recorded nine double-doubles this season, which ranks No. 42 in the nation

• Samuel leads the SEC in field goal percentage, shooting 56.1 percent from the field

• Florida has two players that rank in the top-40 in offensive rebounds per game in Micah Handlogten (3.7 rpg) and Samuel (3.1 rpg)

• Walter Clayton Jr. is scoring 16.4 points per game, which ranks No. 7 in the SEC

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