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By the numbers: Key stats that defined Alabama’s win over LSU

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By the numbers: Key stats that defined Alabama’s win over LSU


If one thing proved true in No. 4 Alabama basketball’s 80-73 win over LSU, it’s that on any given night in the SEC, anything can happen.

Arriving at Coleman Coliseum with just one SEC win, LSU put up a scrappy and physical fight against the Crimson Tide. The Tigers went into halftime tied at 40-40 and even held small leads throughout the game.

Despite struggles from starting point guard Mark Sears and issues on the offensive glass early on, Alabama managed to pull away in the second half, avoiding a second conference loss and pleasing a nearly fully packed crowd.

Before we move on to Wednesday night’s matchup between Alabama and No. 14 Mississippi State, here are five key numbers that defined the Tide’s win over the Tigers.

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7 — Clifford Omoruyi bounced back in the second half, snagging seven rebounds after a quiet first half with just two. LSU dominated the glass in the opening 20 minutes, but Omoruyi’s effort in the second half helped shift the momentum for Alabama. He finished with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Coach Nate Oats praised his performance, noting that it earned Omoruyi the Hard Hat Award.

“ Cliff, I didn’t think he was bringing it,” Oats said. “…Cliff was not rebounding like he needed to, wasn’t playing as hard as we’d have liked. And it ends up going out and playing extremely hard in the second half, had a great attitude on the bench and ends up winning hard hat.”

The Rutgers transfer has turned it up a notch since the beginning of conference play. He ranks in the top 13 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage among SEC players, according to KenPom.com.

13 — One of the key reasons LSU managed to stay within striking distance for most of its trip to Coleman Coliseum was its tenacious effort on the offensive glass in the first half. The Tigers dominated Alabama 13-5 in offensive rebounds during the opening 20 minutes, largely thanks to four-star freshman Corey Chest’s absurd nine offensive boards in the first period alone.

After the game, Oats said rebounds will be a significant point of emphasis for his group going forward.

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“ I got to give a ton of credit to LSU,” Oats said. “Corey Chest with 15 rebounds in the first half…,” Oats said. “That was, that was a major issue. All the offensive boards they had. They ended up outscoring us on second-chance points only by three, but we gave up way too many boards… It’s the fourth time this season we got out-rebounded. So that’s something we’re gonna have to really address going into Mississippi State.”

3 — LSU struggled from beyond the arc, making just three of 23 attempts from deep, which was a season-low. The Tigers’ measly three makes marks the second-lowest number of 3-pointers against Alabama this season. After the game, LSU head coach Matt McMahon said LSU’s inefficient shooting cost the Tigers down the stretch.

“We just weren’t able to make enough shots to give us a better chance there late,” McMahon said. “Credit to Alabama’s defense, credit to Alabama for the win.”

17 — Alabama star point guard Mark Sears played a season-low 17 minutes, all of which came in the first half, the fewest minutes he’s logged in a game since his freshman season at Ohio. Sears also posted the second-lowest offensive rating of his career on KenPom, finishing with a 28, ahead of the 21 he recorded earlier this season against Illinois.

After Sears had a rough first half, Oats mentioned that the coaching staff is implementing a philosophical shift moving forward.

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“ We’re done starting the same group that starts the game, we’re gonna start the guys that we think give us the best chance to get a great start in the second half,” Oats said.

Fortunately for Oats, Alabama’s various backcourt options allow them to play a multitude of lineups depending on who’s hot.

9 — USF transfer Chris Youngblood, who made his first career start vs LSU, contributed to all nine of Alabama’s opening points. The Tuscaloosa native opened the game with seven and assisted Clifford Omoruyi on an alley-oop.

While not being upset about coming off the bench to begin the season, Youngblood said he was happy to finally get a start.

“It felt good,” Youngblood said. “It’s funny because at first, my family thought I’d mad about not starting, but I’m like, man, this team is wonderful, so I embraced this coming off the bench role… It was fun, man. It was fun.”

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Detroit Lions meet with Alabama star OL at NFL combine

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Detroit Lions meet with Alabama star OL at NFL combine


As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine nears its conclusion, the Detroit Lions continue to work to identify potential fits for the franchise.

The Lions own pick No. 17 in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Though Taylor Decker recently announced his return for the 2026 season, Detroit could still be thinking offensive line in the draft’s opening round.

If the Lions opt to fortify their offensive line, one name to watch for Detroit is Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. A Lions scout pulled Proctor aside to talk at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January.

Now, Proctor confirmed to Crunch Time Sports that he met with the Lions at the NFL combine.

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Proctor started 40 games across his Crimson Tide career, missing just the first two games of the 2024 season with injury.

The 6-foot-7, 366-pound lineman was Alabama’s highest-graded player last season with an overall offensive grade of 85.9, per Pro Football Focus. Proctor had a pass-blocking grade of 84.2, a run blocking grade of 81.1 and allowed just two sacks during the 2025 college football season.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a likeFollow Josh on X, @JoshOnLions



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Alabama lawmakers react to U.S. early morning military strike on Iran

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Alabama lawmakers react to U.S. early morning military strike on Iran


Alabama lawmakers are weighing in with their opinion after Donald Trump announced that the United States conducted a military strike on Iran overnight.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey responded to a video from the White House X account announcing that we’ve taken military action.

“Strong leadership requires hard decisions,” Ivey posted to X. “This is exactly how we will achieve peace through strength. As @POTUS said, our Armed Forces WILL prevail. May God continue to bless the brave men and women in our military! And may God bless President Trump and our great country.”

Congressman Robert Aderholt said in his own statement that he stands with Trump’s decision. The statement released earlier today, Saturday, Feb. 8, encouraged Trump for taking military action.

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“For five decades, Iran has openly called for ‘death to America,’” Aderholt wrote. “I remember clearly when they orchestrated the deaths of 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut in 1983. In the years since, the regime has continued pursuing nuclear capabilities that threaten the United States and our allies. I stand with President Trump has he leads these strikes. May God bless the members of our armed forces carrying out these operations”

In addition to being the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Aderholt is also a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall echoed similar sentiment to Aderholt. He cites the same quote.

“For 47 years the vicious Iranian regime has chanted ‘death to America,’” Marshall wrote. “It’s time for swift and decisive action. May God bless the men and women of the Armed Forces. May God bless America.”

Senator Katie Boyd Britt says she echoes Trump’s message from earlier this morning.

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“Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” Britt said on X. “For 47 years, this murderous regime has operated a terror network that has brought death and destruction to the world and slaughtered innocent Americans. Iran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile capabilities, and funding of proxy terror groups pose a sustained and clear threat to our nation, to our military bases and citizens in the region, and to our allies. This is a defining moment of generational leadership from President Trump to achieve sustainable peace. We are praying for the safety of our men and women in uniform and I echo @POTUS’s message this morning: God bless and protect all of our heroes in harm’s way executing this mission.”

Coach and Senator Tommy Tubberville tweeted, “President Trump has shown time and time again, you NEVER threaten America. God bless our great troops, god bless President Trump, and God bless America.”

U.S. Representative for 1st Congressional District of Alabama Barry Moore responded in a Facebook post.

“May God bless our men and women in uniform,” Moore posted. “Please join me in praying for strength, wisdom, and safety for President Donald J. Trump and all of those keeping our nation safe.”

United States Congresswoman Terri Sewell representing Alabama’s 7th District offered one of the few dissenting opinions from local lawmakers and politicians. Although she acknowledges Iran’s history, Sewell expresses her concern for the lives of U.S. citizens now that peace talks have been abandoned.

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“Iran has oppressed their people and supported terrorism in the region for decades,” Sewell said in an official statement. “This fact does not change the President’s obligation under the Constitution to work with Congress on military actions that put our troops in harm’s way and could drag our country into another prolonged war in the Middle East.”

Sewell goes on to say that she’ll work with Congress to arrange a vote on a war powers resolution.

“I am also calling on the Administration to immediately provide a briefing on this ongoing military action, including their justification for abandoning diplomatic talks, as as their strategy for avoiding an extended regional conflict that is not supported by the American people,” Sewell continued. “I am praying for all the service members in the region and their families.”



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How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28

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How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 28


Labaron Philon’s No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-7, 11-4 SEC) hit the road to match up with Ja’Kobi Gillespie and the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers (20-8, 10-5 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game starts at 6 p.m. ET.

We have more details below, including how to watch this matchup on ESPN.

Prepare for this matchup with everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s college hoops action.

Tennessee vs. Alabama: How to watch on TV or live stream

  • Game day: Saturday, February 28, 2026
  • Game time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

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Tennessee vs. Alabama stats and trends

  • Tennessee ranks 78th in the nation with 80.5 points per game so far this year. At the other end, it ranks 62nd with 69.1 points allowed per contest.
  • The Volunteers are thriving when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (39.9 per game) and second-best in rebounds allowed (25.9 per contest).
  • So far this season, Tennessee ranks 30th in college basketball in assists, averaging 17.1 per game.
  • With 11.8 turnovers per game, the Volunteers are 257th in the country. They force 10.7 turnovers per contest, which ranks 224th in college basketball.
  • This season, Tennessee is making 6.9 threes per game (271st-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 34.7% (139th-ranked) from three-point land.
  • With a 30.2% three-point percentage allowed this season, the Volunteers are 22nd-best in the country. They rank 182nd in college basketball by giving up 7.8 three-pointers per contest.
  • Tennessee has taken 67.3% two-pointers and 32.7% three-pointers this year. Of the team’s buckets, 75.8% are two-pointers and 24.2% are three-pointers.

Tennessee vs. Alabama Odds and Spread

  • Spread Favorite: Volunteers (-4.5)
  • Moneyline: Tennessee (-222), Alabama (+179)
  • Total: 164.5 points

NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 4:11 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.



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