Since Alabama’s sloppy home loss to Ole Miss in early January, head coach Nate Oats has been pushing his team to improve its effort and focus. During parts of Saturday’s game against unranked Georgia, it looked like a similar conversation might be necessary again.
Alabama guard Mark Sears then stepped up, and with the defense continuing to shut down the Bulldogs, the Crimson Tide secured a 90-69 win, improving to 8-1 in SEC play.
Although it took some time for Alabama’s leading scorers to get going on Saturday, freshman center Aiden Sherrell made the most of the opportunity, setting a career-high of 12 points. In the first half, Sherrell hit two three-pointers and finished with a perfect alley-oop. It was his most productive offensive performance of the season.
Following only seven points in the first half, Sears ramped up his offensive aggression in the second half, scoring 13 points and recording six assists.
Alabama delivered one of its toughest defensive performances, limiting Georgia to under 35% shooting and just four three-pointers. While the Crimson Tide didn’t force many turnovers, they made Georgia take difficult shots and finished possessions effectively, outrebounding the Bulldogs 52-36.
Alabama will have a week off before heading to Arkansas next Saturday for their 10th SEC game. The Crimson Tide currently sits in second place in the conference, with Auburn leading the way.
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