Alabama’s basketball team did its level best to make Tide fans forget about the football debacle by whipping Kentucky at Coleman Coliseum today by a score of 89-74.
Alabama got off to a fast start out of the gate. Kentucky came out focused on slowing early SEC Player of the Year candidate Labaron Philon, but Aden Holloway and Houston Mallette were ready to step up. Those two combined to shoot 7-8 from three point range and poured in 30 of Alabama’s 50 first half points, for a 16 point lead headed into the break.
Perhaps the most encouraging part of the opening half was Alabama’s much improved work on the boards. Amari Allen led the way per usual with five rebounds despite missing some time with an injury scare, and the Tide won the battle of the boards 21-17. It wasn’t all rosy, however, as starting center Aidan Sherrell went down with a knee injury and was never able to return. He was able to walk to the locker room and back to the bench under his own power so perhaps there is some reason for optimism, but he would be a massive loss.
Keitenn Bristow and Noah Williamson got more work as a result, and while we saw Bristow’s typical all-out effort, Williamson’s minutes were particularly encouraging. The big man scrapped in the paint like we haven’t seen all season, looking for the first time like someone who can compete in the post at this level.
Philon only managed a single bucket in the opening half but took over a bit in the second, as he has so often this season. The three point shot never got there for him today but he made things happen off the dribble, converting several drives to thwart runs by the Wildcats. By the end of the game he was the second leading scorer with 17 points behind only Holloway’s 26. Allen led on the glass with nine rebounds and tossed in 11 points thanks to 3-4 shooting from deep, and Mallette made 4-6 to contribute 14.
Alabama ended up shooting the basketball very well as a team, 39% from three and 75% from the line. This team is a tough out when they shoot it like that.
It’s always great to open SEC play with a victory and even better to beat Kentucky, but Alabama fans will be holding their collective breaths waiting on news about Sherrell. Hopefully they get him back sooner than later.
Roll Tide.
