Tide Rise Despite Defensive Struggles

Oxford, MS. - Alabama traveled to Oxford to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in an SEC after-dark basketball matchup. During the pregame with the Crimson Tide Sports Network, head coach Nate Oats said Alabama's mindset was better this week in practice than it was leading up to the blowout loss at Kentucky.

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If that was Alabama's mindset being better, I'd hate to see what a worse mindset would've looked like. Alabama struggled defensively in the first half, allowing 42 points. The Rebels shot 30.8% from beyond the arc, and 51.6% from the floor.

While Alabama's three-point percentage was better in the first half, the Crimson Tide shot exactly 30% from three, their 38.9 percentage from the field was less than ideal, leading to a 42-39 deficit.

It didn't matter in the second half.

Alabama was down by 14 with 5 minutes left in the first half. The Crimson Tide turned up the heat and went into halftime with a three-point deficit. They came out of halftime with the same energy that they went into it with, taking a five-point lead at the under 16-minute media timeout.

The Crimson Tide continued the hot streak, with six players hitting double digits in the game. Mark Sears led the way with 26, his 18th 20-point game this season for Alabama. Aaron Estrada had 16, Davin Cosby Jr. had 16, Rylan Griffen had 14, and Grant Nelson and Nick Pringle both had 10.

Alabama's second-half three-point shooting was the difference maker on Wednesday, with the Crimson Tide shooting 52.9%.

The countdown to the SEC Showdown of the season has begun, with Alabama taking on Tennessee on Saturday.