How Mark Sears, Grant Nelson lifted Alabama basketball to win over Kentucky

How Mark Sears, Grant Nelson lifted Alabama basketball to win over Kentucky | Goodbread

Posted by Admin January 18, 2025 Basketball

Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats didn’t spare the top of his roster last week in skewering his team’s lack of effort in a loss to Ole Miss.

And in response, the top of the roster spared Kentucky no mercy.

Seniors Mark Sears and Grant Nelson led the Crimson Tide to a 102-97 road win at Kentucky on Saturday, combining for 49 points — just a bucket short of half the team’s total offensive output — to lift Alabama to just its second win at Rupp Arena since 2005-06.

Just four days earlier, Oats called out the Crimson Tide’s senior leadership after an uninspired home loss to the Rebels, and while he didn’t single out Sears and Nelson by name, they were the ones who played on Saturday like they got the message. And they’re the ones who should’ve heard it loudest.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this group of guys, after the poor showing on Tuesday, to bounce back and play the way we did here today,” Oats said. “This is a really good team we beat. They’re a high-powered offensive team.”

By five points, Alabama was just a little more high-powered.

It was Nelson’s show in the first half; he had 19 points by the break, and connected on two early 3-pointers to find his groove. He finished with 25 for his highest total since arriving at Alabama. Rebounding and free-throw shooting, two areas Oats had lamented, were no issue for Nelson against the Wildcats: he pulled down 11 rebounds, and connected on 9 of 10 free throws. Percentage-wise, that tracks precisely with the extra time Nelson invested in practice this week, when he made 181 of 200 free-throw attempts over two days, per Oats.

It was well-timed production for Nelson in the first half, when Sears had trouble finding open shots against harassing defense from Kentucky guard Lamont Butler. But Sears, the SEC’s preseason Player of the Year, wouldn’t be held down for two halves.

He scored 16 of his 24 in the second half, and like Nelson, delivered big at the free-throw line. Fouled on a 3-point try with 2:03 remaining and Alabama leading 90-84, he calmly sank all three free throws for a nine-point lead that went a long way toward putting the outcome out of reach. More than his scoring, though, Sears distributed some masterful passes to get others involved, finishing with nine assists. For one, an easy lob to Cliff Omoruyi for a dunk and an 81-76 lead. For another, he grabbed a loose ball after a blocked shot and found a wide-open Labaron Philon for a 3-pointer at the top of the key and a 90-81 lead. When the Crimson Tide badly needed to counter Kentucky’s continual offensive assault, Sears was there to spark it over the final minutes.

It made for quite a turnaround after a team-wide poor effort on Tuesday knocked Alabama out of a tie for first place in the SEC standings.

For Alabama’s experienced point guard-big ban duo, Oats’ mid-week displeasure clearly hit home. They aren’t Alabama’s only seniors, but counting this year, they’ve logged five seasons between them in Oats’ program.

They know his demands.

They met them Saturday.

Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.