Grant Nelson had twenty five points and eleven rebounds, and number four ranked Alabama beat number eight Kentucky 102-97 in a match up, on the road, of two of the top offensive teams in the country. Nelson was seven for thirteen from the field and nine for ten at the free throw line. He scored a total of twenty points in his previous three games. Mark Sears scored sixteen of his twenty four points in the second half for Alabama, which had five players score in double figures. Kentucky had won two in a row since an 82-69 loss at Georgia. Otega Oweh had 21 points for the Wildcats.
Kentucky grabbed a 56-52 lead on Brandon Garrison's dunk with 16:13 left. But Alabama responded with a 14-2 run. Sears started the big sequence with a jumper. He also picked up an assist when Aden Holloway's 3-pointer made it 66-58 with 12:33 remaining. The Tide went 29 for 34 at the line, helping the team hold on down the stretch.
The Wildcats struggled to come up with a defensive stop at key moments throughout the game. After Garrison's dunk tied it at 81, Labaron Philon had five points in a 9-0 run for Alabama. The Tide Alabama forced Kentucky, one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams, to drive inside much of the second half. Alabama went 13 for 34 from behind the arc, compared to 11 for 27 for Kentucky.
Alabama hosts Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Kentucky has a week off before going to Vanderbilt next Saturday.