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Coach oatmeal called the match against Arkansas to alabama basketball a character game.
“We’re going to see what our guys are made of on Saturday,” Oats said Friday.
Sand. That is what. Even on a day that didn’t go very well for Alabama most of the time and on a day where the offense often didn’t work, the Crimson Tide still found a way.
Alabama, which did not hold the lead for most of the game, found a way to force overtime in the final minute. The Crimson Tide then defeated the Razorbacks in overtime 92-88 at Coleman Coliseum.
With the victory, Alabama secured a double bye in the SEC Tournament.
Here are observations and takeaways from the game between No. 17 Alabama (21-10, 13-5 SEC) and Arkansas (15-16, 6-12).
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Turnovers plague Alabama basketball from the start
The Crimson Tide looked like they just rolled out of bed. Frankly, it might be necessary to pass around cups of coffee. Alabama looked slow from the jump.
The offense seemed particularly bewildered. He was out of sync and often felt disorganized. That led to missed baskets, bad shots and many turnovers. By the first timeout of the game, Alabama already had three.
That put extra pressure on a defense that doesn’t need it. And as a result, Arkansas took a quick lead. They eventually increased the lead to 15, up 36-21 in the first half.
Then Alabama started cutting down on turnovers and started making baskets. Mark Sears hit a pair of 3-pointers and the next thing Alabama knew, it was within six.
A better offense also improved defensive play. Alabama made more stops and Arkansas had trouble making field goals. The Razorbacks finished the first half 1 of 8 with no field goals in the final 2:46. As a result, Arkansas led 42-36 at halftime, a score Alabama should have been happy with considering how bad things were early on.
Defensive battle in the second half
Neither offense could continue consistently after the break.
Both defenses made plays and both stopped double-digit runs that allowed one team to take control. Both teams averaged less than a point per possession for much of the second half.
Alabama fell even with Arkansas, but couldn’t get enough to keep going. However, the Razorbacks couldn’t either. And because the Crimson Tide put together defensive stops, it set up Latrell Wrightsell Jr. to hit a game-tying three-pointer with 21 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Over time
Sam Walters couldn’t do much in regulation. He then he started cooking overtime.
In the back-and-forth game, Walters not only hit a crucial three-pointer, but also grabbed a rebound and scored two more shortly after. That got the Crimson Tide offense going.
Then Alabama kept working, doing just enough to escape with the victory. Walters gave the finishing touch with a colossal dunk. Walters scored seven points in overtime.
Whats Next?
Alabama will await the SEC tournament seeding that will be announced later Saturday.
The SEC Tournament will be held in Nashville from Wednesday to Sunday. Then, Selection Sunday will determine where the Crimson Tide will play the following week for the NCAA Tournament.
Nick Kelly is the Alabama writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, covering Alabama football and men’s basketball. Contact him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
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