No. 5 Alabama basketball team went on the road and did what was expected of it against South Carolina on Wednesday night, winning 88-68. The win moved the Crimson Tide to 13-2 on the season and a 2-0 start in SEC play.

Alabama continued with the same starting five it had used in several games in a row now and rolled with it Mark Sears, Labaron Philo, Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson And Cliff Omoruyi.

HOW IT HAPPENED

South Carolina’s defense proved to be extremely active and physical, which caused Alabama some problems early on offense, including a few turnovers. Still, thanks to a few made three-pointers, including a three-pointer from Philon, Alabama had a narrow lead of 10-9 at the first media timeout of the game.

As the first half progressed, Sears made one of the best starts to a game he’s had all season, driving strong into the lane, knocking down good looks from outside and dishing out some nice passes. He made his first five shots from the field, including three shots from 3-point range, and scored 13 of Alabama’s first 25 points. Before the U8 timeout, the Crimson Tide had a nine-point lead, their largest lead in the game to that point.

As the half came to a close, Alabama slowly continued to build its lead. After a few nice plays from Omoruyi and Omoruyi, the score was tied at 14 in the penultimate 4-minute period of the half Mon Dioubate. Dioubate impressed on both sides with some nice finishes and defensive stops, while Omoruyi continued his strong offensive game against Oklahoma with some great dunks.

Alabama ended the half and continued to extend the lead with strong efforts on both ends of the court. Chris Youngblood hit his first 3-pointer and Sears hit another, leading to a ridiculous Philon finish in the final minutes of the first stanza.

At halftime, Alabama led 45-28, shooting 60 percent from the field and 6 of 11 from distance, one of the best 3-point shooting halves of the year.

South Carolina opened the second half, scoring nine quick points in the first three minutes, much to Oats’ dismay. He replaced all five starters on a few possessions and thereafter Derrion Reid gave up a transition bucket, which he called a timeout, and came into the halfcourt to beat him.

With the bank in play, Aden Holloway started to get hot. He grabbed a steal and hit two extremely difficult layups, then hit a transition three to give the Tide a 17-point lead at the U16 timeout.

The second half continued and South Carolina tried to reduce the deficit but couldn’t really do it. Alabama went on a nearly three-minute point drought, missing seven straight shots from the floor to the under-8, but still maintained a 15-point lead with 7:56 to play.

Over the next four minutes, Alabama extended its lead back to 20 thanks to some free throws and assists from Sears, capping an excellent night. With the score at 77:57, the game was essentially over and went into the U4 timeout.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Mark Sears – 22 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds

Cliff Omoruyi – 10 points, 5 rebounds

Aden Holloway – 13 points, 2 assists

WHAT’S NEXT?

There is no peace in the SEC. Alabama is back on the road Saturday to face No. 10 Texas A&M in College Station. The game begins at 7:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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