Alabama men’s basketball dropped a winnable home game against Florida (14-11 overall, 6-6 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, falling behind early and never getting back within seven points in a 71-53 loss.

The team’s second-straight double-digit loss drops it to 15-10 overall and 6-6 in the SEC and couldn’t come at a worse time as it tries to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume.

“I just feel like we lacked energy,” sophomore guard John Petty said. “We didn’t execute our game plan very well. … I just think we overthought it and then it was too late when you react. Everything was just all-around kind of slow.”

Alabama started slow, remained slow and finished slow, keeping the game tied at 0-0 for 19 seconds before allowing a lead it would never overcome.

The Crimson Tide took nearly six minutes to get on the scoreboard with two free throws from freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr., and nearly eight minutes to make its first field goal.

It missed its first seven field goal attempts and started 3-of-14, but made seven of its last nine first-half shots to keep the game within reach.

Even after the team found a groove, it never got closer than seven points in the first half, with the Gators quelling each run before it ignited.

Halftime came at the wrong time for the Crimson Tide, which went cold again out of the locker room in making two of its first seven shots.

“I have to figure out a way to trick my team into understanding that they’re playing against a ranked team every night,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said. “Maybe if I do that, maybe we’ll be ready to play.”

Florida kept pouring it on, stretching its lead to 17 points midway through the second half, courtesy of solid defense and poor free-throw shooting (10-of-22) by Alabama.

The Gators also outscored the Crimson Tide 36-24 in the paint.

“I think that Alabama makes you (attack the basket) with their length and versatility,” Florida coach Mike White said. “They’ve got bigs that move like guards and then they’ve got some guards who can fight you like bigs on the interior. … They were very prepared with regard to us being a three-point shooting team.”

The team also missed sophomore guard Herbert Jones’ defensive prowess. Jones left the game after two minutes due to an eye injury and did not return until the second half. He played 12 total minutes and scored three points.

“I think it hurt us,” Johnson said. “Obviously he’s one of the best defenders in the league and when he’s not in there, it can really have an affect on us.”

After a Lewis Jr. three-pointer and a Donta Hall layup provided a spark and Alabama chipped the deficit to eight with an 8-0 run, four turnovers by four different players in a 2-minute, 16-second span doomed Alabama’s chances of a miraculous comeback.

Lewis led the team with 14 points, followed by Petty and senior guard Donta Hall with 10. Despite Hall’s seven rebounds, Alabama’s woes on the glass also continued, as it was out-rebounded 31 to 23.

The team returns to action when it hosts Vanderbilt (9-16, 0-12) on Saturday, looking for its first win since defeating the Commodores 77-67 on the road on Feb. 9.