The crowd was already rocking. The Alabama bench was on its ft. When a white jersey discovered some open house behind the arc — a standard incidence on Sunday afternoon — and swished a 3-pointer, Nick Pringle couldn’t take it anymore. The Tide freshman dropped to the bottom and acquired up dazed as if even he couldn’t imagine the groove Alabama was in.
The Tide avenged final week’s loss to Texas A&M, taking down the two-seed Aggies, 82-63. A possible storybook season, a minimum of on the courtroom, added one other celebratory chapter in Nashville. Alabama received its seventeenth general SEC championship, and eighth by way of the match.
The SEC’s glass trophy isn’t the one one the Tide is seeking to seize this March. At 5 p.m., the Tide will possible get introduced as a No. 1 seed within the NCAA Tournament and can get a house crowd much like the one it had in Bridgestone Arena on Sunday. Alabama is projected to be within the south area, enjoying its first two video games in Birmingham.
Coach Nate Oats stated earlier than the match, after a sequence of struggles in four-straight video games, that the six-day relaxation earlier than the postseason would give Alabama an opportunity to reset. Fix the uneven taking pictures performances. Clean up the turnovers. It labored. The Tide’s present type ought to make it a favourite, if not the group to beat in March Madness.
But to get there, Alabama wanted to show its group taking pictures and depth in three days with three video games. The SEC finals began with a 3-pointer from Mark Sears. He celebrated the reprieve from his taking pictures stoop with a spin and flex towards the Tide bench. As it did in opposition to Missouri, Alabama began sizzling from vary, hitting 4 of 5 from deep and 7 of its first 15 photographs general.
A&M made a number of photographs early, however finally, the Tide’s size on protection disrupted photographs on the perimeter, challenged putbacks and compelled sloppy passes. Noah Gurley pinned a layup try off the backboard and Charles Bediako met an A&M large on the rim for an additional block. Partially resulting from Bediako’s effort (12 factors, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks), Alabama wrestled away management and A&M couldn’t string collectively good possessions.
The Aggies began 5-for-25 and had one area aim within the final 11 minutes of the primary half.
Brandon Miller picked up two fouls in eight minutes however 3s from Sears, Rylan Griiffen and a trio from Jahvon Quinerly (22 complete factors) supplemented Miller’s manufacturing whereas he sat on the bench. The dribble drive technique, a staple of Oats’ gameplan, drew in maroon jerseys, permitting the Tide to identify up alongside the arch. By the time Miller picked up his third foul late within the half, A&M trailed by 11.
The Aggies got here out of the locker room seeking to go contained in the paint. A&M’s Julius Marble transformed a hook shot on its first possession, however the Tide restricted second-chance factors whereas profitable the rebounding battle.
A&M flashed a 3-2 zone, reducing the lead into the deficit off a Quinerly turnover and dunk by Marble. But simply because the A&M followers in attendance began to choose up, Miller tipped away a go for a steal, cashing a 3-pointer on the following possession. When the lead shrunk to eight a couple of minutes later, it was Miller who nabbed two offensive rebounds on one journey down the ground, finally getting fouled and changing his free throws.
Oats known as for Alabama followers to make the drive from Tuscaloosa and a minimum of by the noise ranges throughout Tide runs, his want was granted. The supporters gave Alabama a number of standing ovations, together with after a timeout by A&M coach Buzz Williams when Alabama saved pushing the lead again up following one other Miller deep ball.
The recreation grew to become a blowout, a chance for starters to get serenaded with cheers by the gang and for the walk-ons to see the ground.
All season, the Tide stormed by way of SEC play. Sunday gave Alabama its nineteenth win in opposition to an SEC opponent. The Tide’s largest second-half deficit this week was 4 factors.
One of the most effective groups in SEC historical past can assist its case with two items of {hardware}, as for the fifth time, Alabama took dwelling the regular-season and convention titles.
This publish shall be up to date.
