TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In an impressive showing, Mark Sears netted 30 points, propelling No. 4 Alabama to a come-from-behind victory against No. 17 Kentucky with a final score of 96-83 on Saturday evening.
The Crimson Tide, now boasting a record of 22-5 and 11-3 in the Southeastern Conference, had previously faced setbacks in their last two games. Aden Holloway contributed significantly with 19 points, including five three-pointers. Chris Youngblood and Clifford Omoruyi also made valuable contributions, scoring 14 and 11 points respectively.
On the side of Kentucky, which holds a record of 18-9 and 7-7 in the SEC, Koby Brea was the leading scorer with 20 points. Andrew Carr and Amari Williams each chipped in 17 points, while Travis Perry added another 12 to the team’s tally.
Key takeaways from the game include Alabama’s achievement of recording eight wins against ranked AP top 25 teams in a single season, setting a new program record. Additionally, the Crimson Tide completed their season sweep of Kentucky for the first time since 2021.
For Kentucky, Otega Oweh had maintained a streak of double-digit scoring in every game this season prior to this match. Oweh, a leading scorer for the Wildcats at 16 points per game, struggled against Alabama, finishing with only two points on 1 of 9 shooting and fouling out with seven minutes left on the clock.
A pivotal moment in the match came when Alabama, initially down 30-18 in the first half, launched an impressive 18-2 run that allowed them to take a 36-32 lead. The Crimson Tide maintained their edge moving forward, closing the half with a 29-10 run to lead 47-40 at halftime, showcasing their strong offensive performance with a shooting percentage of 6 of 9 during that stretch compared to Kentucky’s 1 of 7.
In terms of shooting stats, Kentucky started strong from beyond the arc, making four of their first six attempts from three-point range, but ended the game with a total of 9 of 26. Meanwhile, Alabama, which had a slow start with just one made three-pointer in its first six attempts, recovered nicely to finish at 11 of 31 from long range.
Looking ahead, Alabama will return home to face No. 21 Mississippi State on Tuesday night, while Kentucky will travel to Oklahoma for their matchup on Wednesday night.
