In its second game in two days, the Alabama men’s basketball team was defeated 72-58 by the Kentucky Wildcats in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Alabama (21-11, 12-4 SEC) never led in the game. Kentucky was in control from start to finish and played a complete basketball game offensively and defensively.
“I thought Kentucky was very good today,” head coach Anthony Grant said. “From the beginning, they came out offensively and had success early and we were playing catch up for the entire game. They ran their offense very well, made open and contested shots. We had a tough time finding a rhythm on the offensive end in the first half and dug a hole for ourselves.
“I’m certainly proud of the fight our guys showed, and we wanted to play hard for forty minutes. I’m proud of our group and I am looking forward to what lies ahead for us.”
Defensively, the Tide allowed the Wildcat guards to get open looks from the perimeter. They also allowed Kentucky to get offensive rebounds that led to second chance points.
Offensively, the Tide was never able to get into a rhythm. Alabama was only able to score 21 points in the first half. Its leading scorer was Tony Mitchell, who had 16 points. JaMychal Green and Trevor Releford added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Kentucky (24-8, 9-7 SEC) had five players score in double figures, including four of its starters. The Wildcats were led by senior forward Josh Harrellson, who had his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, Kentucky only had seven total turnovers. Unlike the first matchup between these teams, Kentucky did not allow Alabama to dominate rebounding the basketball.
“They made shots and it stretched our defense,” Grant said. “When you stretch your defense and you have to put a guy and a half on the shooters coming off [the screens], it opens up opportunities for other guys. Harrellson did a great job of being in the right place at the right time and understanding when shots were going to go up and attacking the glass. They were very active today all over the court.”
With this loss, Alabama will have to wait for Selection Sunday to see if they will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has the Tide as one of the first four teams out of the big dance.
“I’m more focused on our team, and I think we have had a very good year,” Grant said. “Considering where we started and where we finished up, I’m really proud of our guys. So, this was about being in the SEC tournament and enjoying the moment of having an opportunity to try to compete for a championship and the benefits of what we did throughout the regular season in the SEC. That was our focus, and like I said, for me, whatever happens will happen. But that can’t diminish what these guys were able to accomplish during the course of the season in my mind.”
