Alabama Basketball Hangs On to Defeat Creighton

Tuscaloosa, AL - The Crimson Tide returned home for the first time since November 11 to take on its number one rival in college basketball, the Creighton Blue Jays. The Crimson Tide may not have shot well beyond the arc, but the determination, grit, and blue-collar work ethic willed this Alabama team to an 83-75 victory.

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Creighton controlled the opening tip and took a small early lead over Alabama. Alabama woke up quickly, playing fast, loose, and physical for the first 12 minutes of the contest. It looked to be the best defense the Crimson Tide had played all year long, including Alabama's win over North Carolina last week. Players were passing up decent looks to pass the ball to teammates who had even better looks, and it was resulting in Alabama's offense flowing really well. The Crimson Tide peaked early with a 17-point lead with 8:57 left in the first half.

There is a reason Creighton is viewed as an excellent basketball team, however. The Blue Jays stayed calm and continued playing their style of basketball, with the seven-foot center, Ryan Kalkbrenner, leading the way. Alabama saw its lead dwindle slowly and ended with a 6-point lead at halftime.

Alabama began to wake up in the second half, with the Crimson Tide seeing a heavy dose of the two dominant guards, Mark Sears and Labaron Philon.

The second half saw Alabama move the ball well once again, and take smart shots while playing foul-free basketball on the defensive end, which is something this year's Creighton team is good at taking advantage of.

One thing Alabama was missing in last year's loss to Creighton was a presence in the post/. In 2024, Clifford Omoruyi's presence was enough to alter several shots from Kalkbrenner, who still had an impressive night on the court. That battle in the paint was must-see TV and would draw a lot of eyes if these two teams matched up again in March.

The three-ball was once again not falling for Alabama on Saturday, but Alabama was able to overcome it by out-playing Creighton in the paint, rebounding, and bench points.

The crowd became a factor in the second half, with fans rising to the challenge and their feet midway through the second half, energizing the Crimson Tide and willing their team to victory.

Creighton kept trying to cut into Alabama's lead, but the Tide rose to the occasion, consistently getting just enough stops defensively and relying on Mark Sears and Labaron Philon to step up offensively.

Alabama fans better enjoy Sears and Philon while they still have them, because both could be playing in the NBA in just four short months.

Creighton kept it interesting, knocking Alabama's lead down to seven with just over two minutes left in the game. It was a nerve-racking stretch, but Alabama relied on the two people who had gotten them into the leading position - Mark Sears and Labaron Philon.

Philon put the win in the bag for Alabama with less than two minutes left in the contest by stealing a pass and putting the ball in the hands of Derrion Reid, who threw down a windmill dunk to give the Crimson Tide a comfortable enough lead to secure the victory. Creighton resorted to the foul game, which inflated the final score, but did not change the outcome.

Stat Leaders

Points: Mark Sears - 27
Rebounds: Grant Nelson - 9
Assists: Mark Sears - 4

Players in Double Digit Points

Labaron Philon - 16
Mark Sears - 27
Derrion Reid - 12

Alabaam returns to action on Wednesday, December 18, taking on North Dakota in a homecoming trip for Grant Nelson.