MENS BASKETBALL
Alabama 102, Kentucky 97
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Grant Nelson had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 4 Alabama beat No. 8 Kentucky 102-97 on Saturday in a matchup of two of the top offensive teams in the country. Nelson was 7 for 13 from the field and 9 for 10 at the line. He scored a total of 21 points in his previous three games. Mark Sears scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half for Alabama (15-3, 4-1 SEC), which had five players score in double figures. Kentucky (14-4, 3-2) had won two in a row since an 82-69 loss at Georgia. Otega Oweh had 21 points for the Wildcats, and Lamont Butler finished with 17 points and eight assists. Kentucky grabbed a 56-52 lead on Brandon Garrison's dunk with 16:13 left. But Alabama responded with a 14-2 run. Sears started the big sequence with a jumper. He also picked up an assist when Aden Holloway's 3-pointer made it 66-58 with 12:33 remaining. THE TAKEAWAY
Alabama: The Tide went 29 for 34 at the line, helping the team hold on down the stretch. Kentucky: The Wildcats struggled to come up with a defensive stop at KEY MOMENTs throughout the game. KEY MOMENT
After Garrison’s dunk tied it at 81, Labaron Philon had five points in a 9-0 run for Alabama. KEY STAT
Alabama forced Kentucky, one of the nation’s top 3-point shooting teams, to drive inside much of the second half. Alabama went 13 for 34 from behind the arc, compared to 11 for 27 for Kentucky.
January 18, 2025