An inability to execute in the final minutes doomed Alabama against Baylor, causing the Crimson Tide to fall to the Bears 73-68 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday morning.

The contest was a back and forth affair, featuring both 12 ties and lead changes. Neither team was able to pull away from the other, with six points being the biggest lead for either throughout the game.

“You have to give credit to [head coach] Scott Drew and Baylor today,” Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said. “They played tough and outrebounded us, which rarely happens. They just did a good job hustling – converting our turnovers into points and doubling us up on second-chance points. We just didn’t have our best game today.”

Boasting a 35-31 advantage on the glass, Baylor was only the second team to beat Alabama in rebounding this season. The Bears were especially successful creating second chance points against the Crimson Tide, securing 16 offensive rebounds.

Riley Norris led the way for Alabama’s offense, coming off the bench to score 16 points, shooting 6-of-6 from the field and 4-0f-4 from beyond the arc. While Norris was hot from outside, Alabama only shot 29.4 percent from three as a team. Baylor’s aggressive zone defense forced the Crimson Tide into tough shots, but allowed the Crimson Tide to dominant in the paint. Alabama finished with a 48-38 advantage on points in the paint.

Alabama (12-7, 3-3 SEC) will next return home to take on Mississippi State (14-4, 2-3 SEC) on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.