Crimson Tide Makes Easy Work Of Oklahoma In SEC Opener

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Crimson Tide men's basketball team (12-2, 1-0 SEC) made a statement to open Southeastern Conference play with a 107-79 win over No. 12 Oklahoma inside a packed Coleman Coliseum Saturday.

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The win improved No. 5 Alabama's all-time record against the Sooners to 4-7 and marked its first victory over Oklahoma since the 2017-18 season. The 28-point win also represents Alabama's largest margin of victory over the Sooners in the history of both programs.

Alabama got hot early from behind the arch, led by sensational freshman Labaron Philon, who paced the Crimson Tide with 10 points in the first half.

Senior forward Grant Nelson also made a big impact on both sides of the ball in the first half, posting seven points and seven rebounds.

Alabama shot 18-40 from the floor in the first half and 5-15 from three-point range, while holding the lead for all but 16 seconds. On the night, the Tide finished 38-76 on field goal attempts and 9-28 from behind the arch.

The second half was much of the same as four of Alabama's starting five finished in double figures for points: Mark Sears (22), Labaron Philon (16), Grant Nelson (12) and Clifford Omoruyi (10).

Aden Holloway also came off the bench to contribute 10 points in the win, while Nelson notched a double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds over 29 minutes of play.

The Crimson Tide will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, when the team will travel to Columbia, South Carolina for an SEC matchup with the Gamecocks. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. local time and SEC Network will carry the broadcast.

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