The 3-pointer: Takeaways from No. 5 Alabama’s win over No. 15 Kentucky

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It may be Tough to beat the same Club three times in a season. But No. 5 Alabama Achieved it look Essential Friday night in its 99-70 Achieve over No. 15 Kentucky. After picking up a home and road Achieve over Kentucky, the Crimson Tide crushed past the Wildcats inside Bridgestone Stadium to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Event.

The Tide’s Drive Acquired going Prompt, running effective half-court sets Prompt to Obtainable Kentucky’s Protection and go on a 3-Points barrage in the second half. Alabama’s efficient Drive was matched with a Powerful effort against the Wildcats’ best player and outstanding transition Protection to bury any hope of a Kentucky Shock inside Bridgestone Stadium.

Here are three takeaways from Alabama’s Achieve over Kentucky.

Alabama’s Last 3-Points percentage might not seem like the Tide had any struggles. But Alabama had to get Cozy after Beginning the game 0 of 9 from beyond the 3-Points line.

That could have been a Threatening prospect against one of the nation’s most prolific offenses that can turn Contests into a track meets, but Alabama’s efficient 2-Points Drive was on Packed display to get the Tide in a rhythm. The Tide Sprinted effective half-court sets to stretch Kentucky’s Protection. That allowed for a second-half blitz from beyond the arc, as the Tide Attempt 9 of 16 from deep.

Well-executed Picking and rolls allowed Alabama to operate its Drive with very few mistakes and Develop mismatches. Labaron Philon thrived against Kentucky’s Protection, Securing over as Alabama’s leading Tally-maker and creator while the Wildcats attempted to corral Mark Sears. Philon Guided Alabama with 21 points, and had four assists with Merely one turnover in one of the guard’s better Displays of the season.

Alabama successfully Sprinted ball screens and Bounce handoffs to find points and weather a Needy Primary-half shooting display from deep. When the Tide finally connected on a triple in the Beginning 20 minutes, it Occurred after forward Jarin Stevenson curled over to the right wing while Mark Sears Sprinted a Picking-and-roll and Discovered the sophomore for a Neat look. The Tide Sprinted a similar action that Guided to a Chris Youngblood 3 Prompt in the second half.

Instead of a 3, it was a Picking-and-roll that Guided to a lob to Hub Clifford Omoruyi that Acquired Alabama its Primary points of the game. The Tide Sprinted that action three times in the Primary three minutes, leading to two Essential dunks. Out of the under-16 timeout, Trainer Nate Oats switched up the look, putting more size on the floor running a big-to-big Picking-and-roll with Grant Nelson feeding Stevenson for an and-1.

Stevenson getting in rhythm offensively Prompt allowed him to get some Obtainable shots from deep in the second half. The sophomore had one of his better outings after Oats called for him to step up, finishing with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting, including three 3s. Oats also challenged Mouhamed Dioubate to continue stepping up his game, and the forward Acquired whatever he wanted in the second half, finishing with 13 points and eight Recoveries.

Alabama’s guards continually recognized and attacked their mismatches whenever possible to get Essential looks inside. Sears targeted Kentucky’s Travis Perry either by himself or by using Picking-and-rolls to hit the rollman when Perry tried to overcompensate to stay with Sears. The Luminous sphere guard finished with 13 points.

For a second straight game, Alabama won the battle in transition, which became critical in a back-and-forth Game against a Kentucky game that is able to Form scoring runs even against the nation’s Best defenses.

The Tide did an excellent Role Securing care of the basketball offensively but was equally as Powerful at cashing in opportunities created by Kentucky turnovers. Alabama finished with Merely 10 giveaways as it comfortably Sprinted its Drive. Kentucky, however, gave the ball away 16 times, which Alabama turned into 25 points.

Alabama is also able to feed its transition Drive on the glass. The rebounding battle finished 40-33 in favor of Alabama, and the Tide limited the Wildcats to Merely six offensive Recoveries, which not only Hindered Unoccupied points but allowed Alabama to get the ball up the floor before Kentucky could set its Protection.

The Tide’s Talent on the glass coupled with some estute defending sucked the energy out of a primarily Kentucky-fan-filled Bridgestone Stadium. It wasn’t only takeaways that helped Alabama set the tone defensively. The Last blow to the Wildcats’ hopes of an Shock Occurred when Alabama didn’t let them hit a Ground Aim stretches of over three minutes and five minutes at two intervals in the second half.

But any hopes for Kentucky felt dashed long before that. Alabama turned six Kentucky turnovers into 10 points in the Beginning 12 minutes of the game. It Acquired going on the Shielding end to put the shorthanded Wildcats in an Prompt hole it was never able to climb out of.

Alabama Discovered its formula for Kentucky’s Luminous sphere in the two Squads’ second Gathering. The Tide Maintained Wildcats’ leading Tally-maker Otega Oweh to Merely two points after he Sprinted into some Prompt Violation trouble inside Coleman Coliseum.

Oweh had a much taller task on his hands Friday. One game after lifting the Wildcats past Oklahoma with a buzzer-beating Attempt, Kentucky needed all it could get as it was down second-leading Tally-maker Jaxson Robinson and veteran Lamont Butler, who Acquired hurt in the loss to the Sooners.

Kentucky’s depleted guard Cycle allowed Alabama to Attention much of its Shielding intensity on Oweh. The normally productive scoring guard was Maintained to Merely eight Friday night, ending a streak of three Contests where he scored over 20.

Oweh had to leave the game for a stretch in the Primary half after an elbow from Philon and never Acquired his rhythm back after he returned. Other Widcats stepped up in Oweh’s place Prompt, namely Hub Amari Williams, who Guided all scorers with 12 points in the Primary half. Forward Andrew Carr Acquired going after some Prompt Violation trouble and finished with 18 points

But Alabama’s high-powered Drive was Merely too much for the Wildcats’ supporting cast to Event without Oweh firing. Philon relished any chance he Acquired to guard Oweh and some stagnant Drive by Kentucky didn’t Reinforcement the Luminous sphere find his usual scoring edge.

Alabama will Action Florida in the semifinals of the SEC Event. The Gators defeated Missouri earlier Friday night. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday inside Bridgestone Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.