It was not the ideal night for the Alabama men’s basketball team. The Crimson Tide had a week to prepare for their second opponent in the Emerald Coast Classic — the Ohio State Buckeyes. In spite of that, Alabama lost 92-81 in an offensive battle on Friday night.
Nate Oats’ squad struggled for 40 minutes trying to defend the Buckeyes. Ohio State shot 54% from field goal range and 55.6% from three-point range. It just seemed like Alabama had no resolution to eliminate the Buckeyes’ scoring threats.
The Buckeyes were led offensively by sophomore guards Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. The two combined to score 52 points and shot 14-25 from the floor.
As for the Crimson Tide, they were led on the offensive end by North Dakota State transfer forward Grant Nelson and Hofstra transfer guard Aaron Estrada.
In the end, Alabama did not make enough stops on the defensive end to give themselves an opportunity to come away with a win. As a result of their loss, Alabama will now have to play the loser of the Oregon/Santa Clara game. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 EST / 3 CST.
Final. pic.twitter.com/F9nyb5mQj7
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) November 25, 2023
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