Alabama Basketball Dominates In SEC Opener Win Over Oklahoma: 3 Takeaways

Alabama basketball ended Oklahoma’s 13-0 undefeated run, scoring 100+ for the fourth time this season, and opened SEC play 1-0.

Alabama Basketball continues to stay hot offensively and continued the momentum from last week ago with a big  107-79 comfortable win that was over by the midway mark of the second half. This was the 25th time under the Nate Oats era where the Tide have scored 100+ points. Before Coach Oats arrived, Alabama only had 22 100+ point outings.

Alabama’s turnovers continue to be down with 9, and Mark Sears had zero turnovers with 10 assists for his first career double-double.

Alabama was back to a full rotation, with Derrion Reid returning from the ankle injury last week and Houston Mallette back from the illness.

Grant Nelson won the hard hat in this game.

“Really good first game, and if we’re trying to win this thing, we need to dominate and set the tone” said Oats.

https://x.com/AlabamaMBB/status/1875922859425739001

Takeaway #1: Alabama dominates the glass

The Sooners had no answer for stopping Alabama on the glass with a 51-26 rebound advantage with 22 offensive rebounds with 25 second-chance points. Whether it was tip-outs or it was chasing down loose balls, the Tide were the more physical team.

Grant Nelson finished with yet another double-digit rebounding performance, 11 rebounds. Chris Youngblood, with eight rebounds, with four of them coming on the offensive end, is continuing to come back from injury is showing signs of being close to 100 percent.

Takeaway #2: Projected Lottery pick Jeremiah Fears struggles for Sooners 

Jeremiah Fears, who came into this game with tons of NBA draft hype, was shut down for the most part, especially in the first half being held to one point on 0-7 shooting.

Fears scored his first basket with 11:40 left in the second half when the Tide was up by 22, and the game was out of reach. Fears finished with 16 points, but scoring them all in garbage time when the game was analytically over already,

The job Labaron Philon, Derrion Reid, and Jarin Stevenson all had to guard Fears did a good job at making it hard for the Freshman to get into any rhythm.

“Shout out to everybody that guarded him, and did a good job of shutting him down,” said Sears on containing Fears.

Takeaway #3: 6 Alabama players with double-figure scoring nights 

Mark Sears, with the 22 points, is the 18th Alabama player to surpass the 1,500+ point-mark, and also reach the 300-assist mark. Sears shot 5-13, hitting 11-13 from the line where the team struggled with 22-30. Sears had an off-night from three, shooting 1-6 from long distance.

Reid comes back from injury and scores 11 points on 4-8 shooting and also caught an emphatic lob from Sears in the second half off of a steal in transition.

Clifford Omoruyi plays one of his best games in an Alabama uniform, with 10 points on 5-5 shooting and seven rebounds. Whether it was cleaning up misses or cutting to the middle of the paint and dunking around the paint, the Sooners could not find a matchup on Omoruyi in what can be a big confidence booster moving forward.

Philon with yet another double-digit night, with 16 points on 5-10 shooting being able to get downhill and be strong around the rim has helped grow his game in the college level. Philon was able to knock down 2-5 from downtown, which has been a struggle at times.

Nelson continues to be a beast for the Tide, whether in the post, driving to the basket, or now from three. Nelson continues to be comfortable in the new role with 12 points 2-5 from three.

Aden Holloway continues to come into games and be a scoring threat for Alabama with 10 points,  scoring the 100th point on a catch-and-shoot three-pointer. Holloway was 2-3 from downtown and continues to be one of the Tide’s best shooters.

Next up for Alabama (12-2, 1-0): vs. South Carolina (10-4, 0-1) – Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. EST

Next up for Oklahoma (13-1, 0-1):  vs. Texas A&M (12-2, 1-0) – Jan. 8 at 9 p.m. EST