Coleman Coliseum is bound for some Saturday night Tiger fever in Alabama basketball‘s latest matchup.
Matt McMahon and Louisiana State make their way from Baton Rouge as the No. 3 Crimson Tide finds itself tasked with another “maturity test” from Nate Oats.
These aren’t Will Wade’s Tigers, but Alabama (16-3, 5-1 SEC) won’t be deceived by LSU’s 12-6 record or 1-4 start to conference play this week. On Friday, Oats reminded reporters that his team didn’t take Ole Miss’ then-14-2 record or unbeaten run against SEC opponents too seriously. No one forgot what happened there, though.
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Shooters have been known to go off against Alabama despite the defense holding opponents to 40.9% from the floor. Before falling apart around the perimeter against Vanderbilt earlier in the week, Alabama was holding opponents to just over 29% from three-point range.
In Alabama’s first road trip of the season, Trey Kaufman-Renn dropped a career-best 26 points to get the win for Purdue. At the Players Era Festival, LJ Cryer racked up 30 points forcing the Crimson Tide to overtime. Treysen Eaglestaff hit 1,000 points with a career-high 40 as North Dakota nearly upset UA in December.
Of course, fans can’t forget Malik Dia’s record-setting 23 points that saw Alabama take its first loss in Coleman last Tuesday.
Knowing Alabama’s bad habits on defense, Oats gave LSU’s Cam Carter his flowers heading into the contest. With a season-best 27 points against Arkansas just two games ago, Carter is one of the top scorers in the SEC and looks for his 10th outing this season shooting 50% or better beyond the arc.
“We’re going to have to see how mature we are, see what kind of effort we bring for the entire 40 minutes,” Oats said. “LSU is capable of beating us at home.”
Alabama basketball vs LSU score updates
Alabama establishes double-digit lead over LSU at last
They weren’t the most exciting points, but fans in Coleman Coliseum finally found comfort in what’s been a pretty close one with 2:39 to go.
Alabama’s “off-road package” for Mouhamed Dioubate came into play to give the Crimson Tide the layup that put it up, 75-64, over LSU.
Emotions take over on scoreless night for Mark Sears
Despite a seven-point lead for Alabama with 7:45 on the clock, commentators for Saturday’s game noted an “emotional” Mark Sears on the bench.
Three rebounds and three assists fill the stat sheet for the All-American, but it’s looking like it could be a repeat of the senior’s scoreless night against Illinois with 0 points against LSU. In the second half, Sears, who was confirmed not to be injured by SEC Network, has yet to enter and has been seen exchanging earfuls with assistant coach Preston Murphy.
Cam Carter arrival better late than never for LSU
It was a quiet first half for Carter. Alabama’s defense held LSU’s lead scorer to 3-for-7 from the floor and just one rebound. The second half, not so much.
Just over 11 minutes remain and Carter is 4-for-5 for 9 points, taking over as the top scoring Tiger for the night with 15 points total. UA sits just five points ahead of LSU.
Aden Holloway takes over as Alabama’s top scorer in second half
Auburn transfer Aden Holloway is heating up from three-point range. Two early treys for the sophomore in the second half see LSU trail, 52-50, with 15 minutes to play.
Alabama basketball and LSU all tied up at halftime
Oats called for a 30-second timeout with 17.1 seconds to halftime and it was enough for Alabama to get even with LSU heading into the locker room.
Rather than finding an open Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson kept the ball after the pass from Sears and drew a foul. He went 2-for-2 to tie up the scoreboard at 40, but McMahon responded by calling timeout for the Tigers. Although freshman Labaron Philon intercepted a misfired pass, his shot bounced from the rim, denying Alabama the lead.
Alabama was led in scoring by 11 points for Chris Youngblood while LSU features two 10-point scorers Corey Chest and Jordan Sears.
LSU rebounding killing Alabama basketball in first half
Led by 14 rebounds alone for Chest, LSU is outrebounding the Crimson Tide, 22-16. The Tigers are shattering the offensive glass too with 13 boards to just four for Alabama, who leads 35-33 with 1:46 to halftime.
Turnovers terrorize Crimson Tide early
Turnovers have been going down, but LSU is seeing a Crimson Tide team back to its old ways. The Tigers have scored 11 points on six Alabama turnovers with 7:28 left in the first half. LSU has four turnovers of its own. However, the Crimson Tide has scored just three points on the miscues.
UA manages to stay on top, 23-21, after reclaiming the lead with a driving layup by Youngblood, who leads the team with nine points.
10 minutes left in the half, 10 rebounds for Corey Chest
With 30 minutes total left to play, Chest had 10 rebounds. As the Tigers roll on, up 17-13 after a second-chance dunk by Chest, the redshirt freshman led LSU in scoring with 7 points.
Chest reached the double-double mark with his 10th point from the free throw line with 4:26 to go in the period.
Is Alabama basketball in for quiet night from perimeter?
Three missed open looks from three-point range in about 40 seconds brought Alabama’s total from the perimeter to 1-for-6, the lone three-pointer of the game so far from the sharp-shooting Youngblood.
Alabama trails LSU, 15-13, with 12:19 to halftime. With 11 minutes left in the period, LSU had held UA scoreless for 3:03.
Youngblood’s impact instant with Clifford Omoruyi as offense gets started
Youngblood came in clutch assisting Clifford Omoruyi on an alley-oop dunk that put Alabama basketball on the board after LSU found it first from the free throw line.
Youngblood helped the Crimson Tide keep up with a layup before adding his first three-pointer of the game with 17:13 to halftime. Less than a minute later, he scored another basket to see Alabama ahead, 9-7.
Chris Youngblood makes debut in Alabama basketball starting five
USF transfer Chris Youngblood was listed in the starting five for the first time since joining the Crimson Tide. Labaron Philon, who frequently starts in the No. 1 spot, was missing from the lineup as Mark Sears took his place, followed by Youngblood, then Grant Nelson, Jarin Stevenson and Cliff Omoruyi.
LSU starts Curtis Givens III, Dji Bailey, Cam Carter, Daimion Collins and Corey Chest.
What time does Alabama basketball vs LSU start today?
Date: Saturday, Jan. 25
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
What channel is Alabama basketball vs LSU today?
Alabama basketball vs LSU livestream options
Alabama basketball vs LSU will be shown on SEC Network and can be streamed via ESPN+ and Fubo.
Alabama vs LSU betting odds
Here are the game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday :
- Spread: Alabama (-17.5)
- Moneyline: Alabama (-2500) | LSU (+1050)
- Over/under: 166.5 points
Alabama vs LSU injury updates
Derrion Reid (lower body) was questionable once again after missing his third straight game against Vanderbilt on Tuesday. He was ruled out for LSU before tipoff on Saturday.
Nate Oats and staff are still evaluating a medical redshirt for Houston Mallette (knees) as Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Achilles tendon) remains out for the season.
Jalen Reed (ACL) is joined on the Tigers bench by Vyctorius Miller, who Matt McMahon said was “day-to-day” after injuring his ankle against Ole Miss on Jan. 11.
Next five games for Alabama basketball
- Jan. 29: at Mississippi State, 8 p.m. CT
- Feb. 1: Georgia, 3 p.m. CT
- Feb. 8: at Arkansas, 7 p.m. CT
- Feb. 11: at Texas, 8 p.m. CT
- Feb. 15: Auburn, 3 p.m. CT
Next five games for LSU basketball
- Jan. 29: Auburn, 6 p.m. CT
- Feb. 1: Texas, 5 p.m. CT
- Feb. 5: at Georgia, 8 p.m. CT
- Feb. 8: Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m. CT
- Feb. 12: at Arkansas, 8 p.m. CT
Alabama basketball in the headlines
Looking for its third straight 100-plus point win this season and in the series against LSU, Alabama basketball is frequenting the headlines. Here are the latest:
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Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
Alabama basketball takes on LSU in a highly anticipated SEC matchup tonight. Stay tuned for live score updates, highlights, and information on how to watch the game on TV.
Score Updates:
1st Half:
Alabama – 35
LSU – 32
2nd Half:
Alabama – 65
LSU – 62
Final Score:
Alabama – 85
LSU – 78
Highlights:
– Alabama’s standout player, Jaden Shackelford, led the team with 25 points and several key three-pointers.
– LSU’s Cameron Thomas put up an impressive performance with 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win for the Tigers.
– The game was closely contested throughout, with both teams showcasing their offensive firepower.
TV Channel:
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 PM ET. Tune in to catch all the action as Alabama and LSU battle it out on the court.
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Alabama basketball, LSU score updates, Alabama vs LSU highlights, Alabama basketball TV channel, NCAA basketball, SEC basketball, college basketball updates
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