No. 4 Alabama Basketball Dominates Georgia, Poised to Rise in Rankings
The Crimson Tide triumphed over a strong Georgia team at home on Saturday.
Will Miller | 55 Minutes Ago
Feb 1, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) drives the ball against Georgia Bulldogs guard Silas Demary Jr. (5) during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
Feb 1, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) drives the ball against Georgia Bulldogs guard Silas Demary Jr. (5) during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images / Will McLelland-Imagn Images
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Despite early struggles from point guard Mark Sears and a significant turnover count in the first half, Alabama’s basketball team secured a dominant 90-69 win over visiting Georgia on Saturday afternoon.
The No. 4 Crimson Tide (19-3, 8-1 SEC) went into halftime with a 39-28 lead, with only freshman Aiden Sherrell in double figures at that point. Sears, who had been scoreless until the 5:23 mark, eventually found his rhythm despite a few early turnovers. Alabama also controlled the glass, finishing with a 52-36 rebounding advantage.
Head coach Nate Oats emphasized the need for his team to respond to the challenge posed by freshman forward Asa Newell. Newell, Georgia’s standout player, posted 16 points and five rebounds by halftime, but despite his efforts, Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC) struggled to keep pace with Alabama’s high-powered offense for the full 40 minutes. The Bulldogs shot just 36% from the field.
“For the most part, Asa got going there a little bit early in the second half, but overall, I thought our bigs did a good job on him,” Oats said. “Ton of respect for him. He ends with 16 points and seven rebounds, but takes 15 shots, going 6-of-15 from the floor.”
If not for turnovers, it’s possible Alabama’s lead at halftime could have been even more significant. Still, Oats noted that the Crimson Tide’s lead was already in double digits. Oats had stressed the need for more energy going into this game after his team’s lackluster performances in the previous three home games.
“Unbelievable effort from our guys, really the effort we’ve been looking for, except for the start of the second half,” Oats said. “We’ve got to fix the turnovers. Obviously, that’s a major issue, and 12 of those 20 were from three of our fifth-year seniors, which shouldn’t happen. But I thought those guys set the tone. This was the hardest Sears has played… His leadership, his effort tonight really set the tone for how the team should look.”
Despite finishing the game with 20 turnovers, the Crimson Tide took control when Georgia’s head coach Mike White received a technical foul with Alabama leading 52-43 with 13:59 remaining. Alabama capitalized, scoring the next seven points, including a three-pointer from Sears that put him up to 18 points in a game where he would finish with 20.
Sears credited his improved play to simply staying focused and not letting the game affect him mentally. “Just playing hard,” he said. “Just making the right plays and not forcing things. Just letting the game flow naturally.” Oats highlighted Sears’ defensive effort as an area of growth, calling it “enormous.”
Alabama continued to pull away, leading by 23 at the under-eight media timeout, with Georgia failing to get their shots to fall consistently. The Bulldogs struggled both from long range and in close. With a balanced attack, the Crimson Tide had five players in double figures: Sears, Sherrell, Aden Holloway, Chris Youngblood, and Grant Nelson. Newell was one of only two Georgia players to reach double digits. Nelson recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Sherrell, playing a season-high number of minutes, gained valuable experience and attributed his success to hard work in practice. “We were in a flow,” Sherrell said. “We went out there and executed. It felt great to make multiple three-pointers. I’ve been in the gym, getting up shots a lot.”
Nelson joked about his quest for the Hard Hat award, which he was just shy of earning, while Mouhamed Dioubate added another one to his collection in 11 minutes of play. “I don’t even know what he does to get like 20 blue-collar points every night,” Nelson quipped.
With No. 3 Iowa State’s 80-61 loss to Kansas State, which occurred while Alabama was playing, the Crimson Tide is likely to move up in the rankings, possibly joining rival Auburn in the top three. This victory over a solid Georgia team further solidified their position. While Georgia began February struggling, Oats saw his team compete even in difficult moments, such as responding after turnovers.
“If we can keep that mentality, that effort on the defensive end, and clean up the offense, we’re heading in the right direction for the second half of conference play,” Oats said. “Defensively, we made big strides.”
