Alabama basketball shooters lights-out in 100-75 win over Texas A&M
With first place in the SEC standings at stake, the Alabama basketball team maintained it grip at the top of the league Saturday with a 100-75 win over Texas A&M at Coleman Coliseum.
With the win, Alabama (18-7, 10-2 SEC) improved to 12-1 at home. Point guard Mark Sears continued his torrid pace with 23 points, and the Crimson Tide got key contributions from guards Rylan Griffen (17 points) and Latrell Wrightsell (16 points).
Here are a few observations from the victory:
Shooter's game for Alabama basketball
Alabama was far more accurate shooting from the 3-point line than were the Aggies, making all the difference in yet another high-scoring performance for the Crimson Tide. Led by Sears (8-of-14, 4-of-7 on 3-pointers), UA shot 18-of-41 from 3-point range, while A&M managed just 4-of-23 shooting from deep. Davin Cosby gave UA its school-record eighth 100-point game of the season with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
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Rebounding not enough for Aggies
On Friday, UA coach Nate Oats expressed concern about Texas A&M's rebounding prowess, particularly its ability to generate second and third chances on the offensive end. That proved prescient, as the Aggies outrebounded Alabama 49-38, including a whopping 26 on the offensive end.
It didn't matter, however, because of the aforementioned shooting woes.
Early run allows UA to take command
With Alabama leading 9-8 early, the Crimson Tide erupted for 12 points in a stretch of only five possessions − six from Sam Walters, and three each from Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson − with a Aaron Estrada accounting for the only miss. Walters began the run with a layup and a foul that he converted for a three-point play. Sears, Stevenson and Walters then each buried a 3-pointer to give Alabama a 21-10 advantage.
Etc.
The 2003-04 Alabama team was honored at halftime, with some of the loudest applause reserved for its point guard: Kennesaw State head coach and former longtime UA assistant Antoine Pettway. The 2003-04 team made the deepest NCAA Tournament run in school history, reaching the Elite Eight before losing to UConn, 87-71. ... During the first half, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee projected Alabama as a No. 3 seed on CBS' March Madness Men's Bracket Preview show. ... Retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban was in attendance.
Up next
Alabama will play host to Florida on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN2), the first of two matchups between the Crimson Tide and Gators over the next couple weeks. UA visits Florida on March 5.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball shooters on target 100-75 win over Texas A&M
