Alabama Rallies Again, Survives Late Scare to Edge Oklahoma 83-81
For the second straight game, Alabama dug itself a double-digit hole in the first half. And for the second straight game, the Crimson Tide found a way to climb out of it.
Down 11 at halftime and missing key rotation pieces, No. 18 Alabama showed grit and resilience on the road Saturday, storming back to outlast Oklahoma 83-81 in a wild, back-and-forth finish. The win moves the Tide to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, while the Sooners fall to 11-7 and 1-4 in conference.
Short-Handed, But Not Short on Fight
The Tide were still without Latrell Wrightsell, Keitenn Bristow, Davion Hannah, and Collins Onyejiaka, though freshman wing Taylor Bol Bowen returned in a limited role. Head coach Nate Oats stuck with the same starting five from the previous game: Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway, Amari Allen, London Jemison, and Aiden Sherrell. That continuity, despite the injuries, is starting to pay off.
Philon set the tone early, scoring inside and from beyond the arc to help Bama to a quick 9-5 lead. But the first half quickly turned into a game of runs.
Alabama strung together an 8-0 spurt, only to see Oklahoma answer with a 10-0 burst of its own. The Sooners closed the half with an 11-0 run, capitalizing on Alabama’s cold shooting to take a 44-33 lead into the break.
The Tide shot just 37% from the field in the first half and a frigid 21% from deep (4-of-19). They also struggled to create consistent offense, finishing with just four assists in the half.
Sherrell led the way early with seven points, while Philon added six points and three assists. Houston Mallette provided a lift off the bench with five points and three rebounds.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, shot 40% in the opening 20 minutes and dominated the glass, grabbing 26 rebounds - 12 of them on the offensive end. Former Alabama player Derrion Reid came out aggressive, scoring 13 points and hauling in seven boards before halftime. Zzavyier Brown and Tae Davis added solid support, combining for 21 first-half points.
Second-Half Surge: Sherrell, Philon, and Mallette Lead the Charge
Oats made a key adjustment coming out of the locker room, inserting Mallette into the starting lineup in place of Jemison. The move paid immediate dividends.
Sherrell opened the half with a dunk, Mallette followed with a three, and after a steal, Sherrell converted an and-one to complete a 9-0 run. Just like that, Alabama had erased the deficit and taken a 45-44 lead less than two minutes into the half.
The game turned into a tug-of-war from there. Oklahoma answered with a 7-0 run, taking advantage of Alabama’s ongoing struggles at the free throw line to build a 55-48 lead.
But Sherrell wouldn’t let the game slip away. The freshman forward scored five straight points - including a clutch offensive rebound and putback - to put the Tide back on top 57-55.
Still, the missed free throws continued to haunt Alabama. Philon, a typically reliable shooter, was just 1-of-5 at the line at one point. With under seven minutes to play, Oklahoma held a 73-67 lead and looked poised to pull away.
But Philon flipped the script.
The All-American candidate drilled back-to-back threes to tie the game at 73, then after a brief OU lead, Mallette buried a huge triple to give Alabama a 76-75 edge with under two minutes left. Philon followed with a tough finish through contact and, this time, knocked down the free throw to extend the lead to 79-75.
Late-Game Chaos and a Narrow Escape
The final 20 seconds were anything but routine. After Oklahoma cut it to 79-77, Mallette split a pair of free throws.
Oats made the strategic decision to foul before the Sooners could get off a potential game-tying three - a move that nearly backfired. Brown drew a continuation call and was awarded three free throws.
He made the first two but missed the third. Allen grabbed the rebound and was fouled immediately.
He, too, split a pair at the line, making it 83-81.
Oklahoma had one last chance. After advancing the ball to midcourt and calling timeout with 3.9 seconds left, the Sooners got a clean look from deep - but it rimmed out. A last-ditch putback also missed, and the Tide escaped with a hard-fought win.
Final Numbers Tell the Story
Alabama shot 44% from the field (29-of-66) and 30% from three (10-of-33), but it was the free throw line that nearly cost them. The Tide went just 15-of-26 (58%) from the stripe, including several key misses down the stretch.
Philon led the way with 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists, overcoming a slow start and shaky free throw shooting to deliver in crunch time. Sherrell continued his emergence as a two-way force, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. Allen chipped in 12 points, eight boards, and three steals, while Mallette added 12 points and six rebounds in a strong performance off the bench.
Oklahoma shot 39% overall (28-of-72) and just 25% from three (6-of-24), but they kept themselves in the game with excellent free throw shooting (19-of-22, 86%) and relentless rebounding. The Sooners pulled down 45 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass. Brown led the way with 21 points, four assists, and two steals, while Reid and Davis combined for 30 points and 16 rebounds.
Bama’s Grit Is Real - But the Margin for Error Is Thin
For the third time in SEC play, Alabama found itself staring down a double-digit deficit. And once again, they clawed their way back. That kind of resilience is impressive - especially on the road and with a short bench - but it’s a dangerous game to play, especially as the schedule toughens.
Still, there’s no denying the development of this young core. Sherrell is looking more and more like a future NBA first-rounder with each passing game. Philon remains a steady floor general with star upside, and Allen continues to do a little bit of everything on both ends.
With a week off before their next game, Alabama has a chance to regroup, get healthy, and sharpen up - particularly at the free throw line. The Tide return to action next Saturday night at Coleman Coliseum, where they'll look to build on this momentum in front of the home crowd.
Roll Tide.