Alabama basketball puts up 109 points in runaway SEC win over LSU
A letdown game of some kind certainly could have been expected from Alabama basketball.
Fresh off an emotional slugfest victory over Auburn this past Wednesday, the Crimson Tide putting together a lackluster game vs. LSU wouldn't have been shocking.
There was no letdown, though. Especially not on offense.
Alabama wasn't perfect, but the Crimson Tide still ran LSU out of the arena. Alabama beat the Tigers 109-88 on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. It marked the sixth 100-point game for the Crimson Tide this season, a program record.
Alabama saw all five of its starters put together double-digit scoring nights.
Here are observations and takeaways from the game between Alabama (14-6, 6-1 SEC) and LSU (11-9, 3-4).
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Latrell Wrightsell shines early, but defense slows takeover
Alabama couldn't have asked for a much better start from Wrightsell.
The senior guard had a terrific first half, knocking down four triples on seven attempts. He scored 14 points in 16 minutes of play before the break. Wrightsell also had a steal and a rebound before halftime.
His efforts didn't give Alabama much of a lead, though. The Crimson Tide's defense had trouble slowing LSU early. That prevented any type of momentum from giving Alabama a significant boost and going on any big runs.
Almost halfway through the opening frame, each team was averaging 1.545 points per possession. Translated: That's strong offense and lackluster defense.
Still, the Crimson Tide managed to gain a slight lead at halftime even with the back-and-forth game. Alabama held a 50-44 lead at the break.
Wrightsell finished with 19 points.
Guards lead offensive onslaught in second half
First, Aaron Estrada got rolling. He had seven points in fewer than four minutes after halftime.
Soon, Rylan Griffen sunk a few triples. Then Estrada continued to score. Next, Mark Sears did his damage, knocking down plenty of free throws. He went 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.
All in all, the efforts of Estrada, Griffen and Sears served as the catalyst for Alabama's offensive takeover in the second half. Estrada finished with 18 points, Griffen had 12 and Sears tallied 21.
What's next?
Alabama goes back on the road this week, traveling to Athens, Georgia, to face the Bulldogs on Wednesday (5:30 p.m., SEC Network). Then the Crimson Tide will return to Tuscaloosa to face Mississippi State on Saturday for the second time this season; Alabama beat the Bulldogs 82-74 in Starkville in January.
Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball vs. LSU: Tide gets runaway victory
