The Alabama men’s basketball team picked up where the football team left off with a decisive victory over Louisiana State, 69-53.
Wednesday was the Crimson Tide’s Southeastern Conference home opener Wednesday, and 14,245 fans witnessed the rout. It was the largest crowd for a home opener since Jan. 9, 2007, a sellout also against LSU.
Key runs fueled the Tide throughout the contest. The score was tied at 13 with 10:57 remaining in the first half, but Alabama ripped off an 18-6 run to close the half. In the second half, LSU cut the deficit to eight points, but the Tide fired back with seven straight points and did not let up. Both runs were led by sophomore point guard Trevor Releford.
“Trevor’s play has been consistent over the last several games,” head coach Anthony Grant said. “That’s a great word to be able to use with your point guard: consistency. It’s a product of the work and mental preparation that he has put in during practice.”
Releford played an efficient game, attacking from all angles. He finished with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting and constantly got to the basket against multiple defenders.
“He is picking and choosing when to go now,” forward Tony Mitchell said. “He’s also doing very well with his decision making. He played a great game tonight.”
Alabama (13-3, 2-0 SEC) has won five consecutive games, including their first two conference games by double digits. The Tide scored 32 points in the paint and 25 points off turnovers. They had a visible size advantage against the Tigers and took advantage by out-rebounding LSU by 10. Mitchell and Trevor Lacey each had 10 rebounds apiece.
“The more you chase, the more you get,” Grant said. “We challenged our guards and told them they were going to have to go in and rebound. It was a necessity for us to compete on the backboard tonight.”
LSU (11-5, 1-1 SEC) struggled to get into a rhythm all night. Unforced errors and missed open shots hurt the Tigers when they cut into the lead. Head coach Trent Johnson said it was his team, not Alabama, that beat them.
“What game were you guys watching tonight?” Johnson said. “When kids miss open shots and make unforced turnovers, it is what it is. Don’t take anything away from [Alabama], but it is what it is.”
Next up for Alabama is a road trip to Mississippi State on Jan. 14 before returning home to face Vanderbilt on Jan. 19.
