No. 5 Alabama men’s basketball won its first SEC road test against South Carolina 88-68 in relatively easy fashion on Wednesday night.

A big reason this matchup was a must-see was the reunion with former Alabama and current South Carolina forward Nick Pringle, who was part of the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run last season. Alabama head coach Nate Oats said during Tuesday’s press conference that Pringle, like most players facing their former team, will likely tell the Gamecocks about the Tide’s style of play to try to gain an advantage well before the game .

However, that wasn’t the case early on, as Alabama built a commanding 45-28 lead at halftime. Crimson Tide Preseason All-American guard Mark Sears quickly lived up to that status as he started the game 6-of-7 and scored 16 points, including 4-of-4 on attempts from behind the arc.

Sears’ performance certainly impacted the rest of the team in the first half, as Alabama shot 60 percent from the field (18 of 30), including 6 of 11 shooting from downtown. In addition to 13 assists, the Tide also grabbed six offensive rebounds that led to seven second-chance points, scored 22 points in the paint and recorded five steals and three blocks.

Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi and Labaron Philon, a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week who led the conference, also had a very solid first half on both ends of the court, contributing to the massive lead.

The second half got off to a slower start for Alabama as Oats took out the entire starting lineup after a poor play. One of the substitutes was guard Aden Holloway, who scored seven straight points for Alabama to regain the Tide’s momentum and build a more comfortable 56-39 lead with 15 minutes left in the second half.

The importance of depth played a role in this game, as Holloway held Alabama to 36 bench points while the Gamecocks had four. Additionally, South Carolina’s secondary did not score a bench point until less than two minutes remained in regulation time.

From there, both teams exchanged baskets, but Alabama’s great start kept the Tide composed and the Gamecocks unable to mount a big comeback. Even when Alabama went through droughts, the defense came through and made sure South Carolina didn’t back down. Here, forwards Grant Nelson and Mouhamed Dioubate, among others, played key roles as Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles, SC’s leading scorer early in the game, went 1 of 6 from the field.

In short, Alabama’s first half was significantly better than the second, but the Crimson Tide’s defense in the later part of the evening made the offensive performance less important. Of course, consistency in both halves will be important for the rest of SEC play.

Alabama improves to 13-2 (2-0 SEC) while South Carolina slips to 10-5 (0-2 SEC).