Grant Nelson Lifts Alabama to Victory over McNeese State

Tuscaloosa, AL - It was the Grant Nelson game inside Coleman Coliseum on Monday night, with the Alabama Crimson Tide riding his coattails in the first half.

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Nelson was on 20-point watch...in the first half. The second-year transfer from North Dakota State University had 16 points and four rebounds as Alabama took a 41-30 lead into halftime against Will Wade's McNeese State Cowboys.

Mark Sears also had double digits for the Crimson Tide in the first half, scoring 10 points. Sears was perfect in the first half, going 3-for-3 from the floor, 2-for-2 from the three-point arc, and 2-for-2 from the free throw stripe. Sears also added one rebound and two assists in the 17 minutes he played in the first half.

In the second half, the defense was the big sticking point for both teams. The game became a slugfest that Alabama was familiar with, as the Crimson Tide had just won a slugfest against Arkansas State just three days earlier against Arkansas State.

Alabama was held scoreless for almost nine minutes of play, resulting in McNeese State cutting a 21-point deficit to a six-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining in the contest.

Alabama's defense rose to the occasion in the final seconds, stopping the Cowboys on their final two possessions.

Despite the ice-cold stretch from the Crimson Tide, Alabama was able to hold on for a 72-64 win over the McNeese State Cowboys. Alabama will hit the road for the first time this season on Friday, November 15 for an AP top-15 matchup in West Lafayette, Indiana against the Purdue Boilermakers.

Stat Leaders

Points - Grant Nelson - 20
Assists - Mark Sears - 4
Rebounds - Grant Nelson - 7

Players in Double Digits

Grant Nelson - 20 points
Mark Sears - 15 points
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. - 15 points

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_.