Alabama Torches Mississippi State in Coleman Coliseum

Tuscaloosa, Ala. - In March 2018, Alabama guard John Petty was on fire from three-point range, leading the broadcast crew to call Petty a flamethrower from three-point range.

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On February 25 against Mississippi State, Alabama decided to recreate the performance, led by the Tuscaloosa native Chris Youngblood.

Lighter practices and a re-emphasis on defense appeared to be the missing points for this Alabama team, which looked like a new basketball team when it emerged from the tunnel to start the second to last home game of the season. The Crimson Tide needed a big victory over the Bulldogs, with the final three games of the season all being against top-five opponents.

Mississippi State jumped out to an early lead, going up 3-0 quickly to start the game. The Bulldogs' lead did not last long, as Tuscaloosa native Chris Youngblood took the first three-point attempt of the game for Alabama, draining it from the right side of the court. Youngblood added insult to injury early by scoring on a rare four-point play opportunity thanks to a Josh Hubbard foul.

It was the first of many made threes for Alabama on Tuesday night.

In the first half, anytime Mississippi State hit a shot to begin a run, Alabama would quickly respond with a barrage of orange-colored bombs to extend the Crimson Tide's lead. By the end of the first half, Alabama had established an already incredibly comfortable 53-27  lead thanks to a staggering 11 made three-point shots - eight came from Mark Sears and Chris Youngblood alone.

Even more impressive than the fact Alabama made 11 threes in the first half, Alabama was shooting better from three (55 percent) than it was from the field (52.9 percent).

The defense in the first half was exactly what fans had been waiting to see from Alabama all season long. Scrappy battling from Alabama's smaller defenders, Grant Nelson and Clifford Omoruyi closing out on open shooters on the perimeter, and Mouhamed Dioubate staying physical in the paint. The emphasis on defense and the effort by Alabama held Mississippi State to just .750 points per possession in the first half.

A major concern for teams after taking such a large lead into halftime is the team taking the foot off the gas and allowing the opponent to slowly creep their way back into the contest.

It wasn't a concern for Alabama, as the Crimson Tide started the second half on a 9-0 run over 2:02 to give itself an incredible 33-point lead just five minutes into the second half.

Sears and Youngblood once again led the way in the second half for Alabama, although neither saw major minutes for most of the second half.

Despite the lack of major minutes, Sears and Youngblood still made their presence felt. Sears scored 20 points and Youngblood had 27 on the game.

Another bright spot of the second half was the re-emergence of Jarin Stevenson. Stevenson made all three three-point attempts he took on the night and emerged as a valuable weapon in limited minutes for the Tide. If he has re-developed his confidence, it may be a valuable key to Alabama come March.

Alabama maintained a 30-point lead for much of the second half, dominating Mississippi State well beyond after this game was out of reach for the Bulldogs. Alabama re-established a win streak in the SEC with the 111-73 victory.

Alabama's next game will come on Saturday, March 1, when the Crimson Tide head to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

Alabama Stat Leaders

Points: Chris Youngblood - 27
Rebounds: Mouhamed Dioubate - 11
Assists: Mark Sears - 10

Alabama Players in Double Digit Points

Chris Youngblood - 27
Mark Sears - 21
Labaron Philon - 10
Aden Holloway - 13
Mouhamed Dioubate - 10

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.