TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 5 Alabama took down South Dakota State 105-82 to close out non-conference play.
With the calendar turning to conference play, the Crimson Tide came into Sunday’s non-conference looking to get back on track offensively after some inconsistent performances early on in the season.
Alabama did exactly that with its triple-digit offensive output. The Crimson Tide hit a season-high 19 3-pointers on 19-for-55 from beyond the arc. Alabama shot 47% for the game Sunday afternoon, shooting 37-for-78 from the field.
“I thought it was a good one for us to get some confidence with some of our shooters,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said.
Alabama got off to a fast start in the first 12 minutes of the game, building a 40-17 lead over the Jackrabbits. While South Dakota State did all they could to fight back and cut the deficit to 14 in the second half, the Crimson Tide offense put its foot back on the gas pedal and took away any hope South Dakota State had.
Alabama received contributions offensively from guards Labaron Philon, Mark Sears and Aden Holloway as well as Alabama forward Grant Nelson. Sears hit six out of his 14 3-pointers and scored 20 points His six 3-pointers were a season-high for the season so far.
The season-highs did not stop there for the Crimson Tide players. Transfer Aden Holloway set a season-high 26 points off the bench. Not only did he set a season-high for points in a game, Holloway also set a career-high for 3-pointers made in a game with eight made 3-pointers, breaking his previous record of five while Holloway played for Auburn last season.
Holloway spoke about how helpful it is for Oats to give him confidence to continue shooting 3-pointers.
“It’s really nice, and it’s kind of crazy because he gets mad when I don’t shoot. I’m just grateful he instills confidence in me and let me play my game,” Holloway said.
Philon set an early career-high of 21 points. The freshman shot 8-for-14 including 2-for-7 from behind the arc. He also added six assists and five rebounds to his total for the day.
Philon expressed confidence in Alabama’s guard play between Sears, Holloway and himself, “I’m pretty sure if we keep playing like that, it’s going to be hard for any team in the country having to guard three good guards at the same time,” Philon said.
The two categories that had some fans concerned as Alabama approached SEC play were turnovers and free throws. On Sunday, the Crimson Tide seemed to calm both of the concerns. Alabama finished the game with six turnovers after it had 17 giveaways in last week’s game against Kent State. Alabama also capitalized on its opportunities from the free throw line. The Crimson Tide shot 75% from the stripe, sinking 12 of its 16 attempts.
“They’ve [coaching staff] just been preaching about turnovers in practice, and if you turn it over then you have to get on the bike. When you cut the turnovers down, the game is more fun since you’re not running as much to get back on defense,” Philon said.
Defensively, Alabama held its own. The Crimson Tide forced 14 turnovers from South Dakota State and turned it into 24 points of its own. Moreover, Alabama also had the edge on the glass, winning the rebound battle 45-40.
Up next, Alabama moves into conference play. The Crimson Tide will start the new year and conference play with a primetime matchup as it welcomes undefeated No. 12 Oklahoma to Tuscaloosa on Jan. 4. Alabama and Oklahoma will tip off at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
