The Alabama Crimson Tide made sure the Oklahoma Sooners got a rude welcome to SEC play in front of a sellout crowd at Coleman Coliseum Saturday night.
The fifth-ranked Tide were firing on all cylinders in a 107-79 rout of the previously unbeaten and 10th-ranked Sooners, playing in their first head-to-head SEC basketball contest.
The Tide (12-2 overall, 1-0 SEC) won their conference opener by getting a complete-game, 40-minute effort in dominating fashion. Alabama had six players finish in double figures, including Mark Sears with 22 points and freshman Labaron Philon with 16.
Alabama led 48-29 at halftime, and the 28-point lead at the final buzzer tied their largest of the game.
The Tide got off to a strong start by taking a 17-10 lead in the first eight minutes of the night and went up by double digits when Sears made a perfect dish to Grant Nelson for a two-handed dunk with 8:14 to go in the half, putting Alabama ahead 27-15.
When Philon made his second 3-pointer of the half, it made it 30-16 for Alabama’s biggest lead to that point. The Crimson Tide would only stretch the lead from there.
Philon led the team with 10 points at halftime. Clifford Omoruyi had a big first half as well with eight points on 4-4 shooting to go with three rebounds and a block. Omoruyi, a Rutgers transfer, would finish the night with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Nelson finished with 12 points for Alabama, freshman Derrion Reid had 11, and Aden Holloway added 10. Holloway’s 3-pointer with 2:40 to play in the game got the Tide to the 100-point margin for the fourth time this season — and the second game in a row.
From the field, Alabama shot 50 percent (38-of-76) and was 9-for-29 from behind the arc. The Crimson Tide crushed the Sooners (13-1) on the boards all night, finishing with a 51-26 edge in rebounding. Alabama also dominated in bench points, 38-5.
Alabama schedule 2025
The Crimson Tide will head to Columbia to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (10-4) at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday. South Carolina lost 85-50 at No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday. Wednesday’s game will be televised on SEC Network.
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