Alabama
Why Alabama basketball made postgame talk ‘hard’ for OU’s Porter Moser
Alabama basketball’s win over Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 17, made the postgame locker room chat a difficult one for Sooners coach Porter Moser.
The No. 18 Crimson Tide defeated OU, 83-81, for the program’s first victory at Lloyd Noble Center. But right around halftime, Alabama (13-5, 3-2 SEC) looked like it was headed for a 2-3 start to SEC play as Oklahoma led by 11 points, and even after UA went on a 10-0 run to even the scoreboard, the Sooners bounced back to still have a chance to win in the final seconds.
“We had a six-point lead and (Labaron) Philon had back-to-back threes. You’ve got to give him credit. One was off an offensive rebound. We had back-to-back shots we missed. So we had our opportunities,” Moser said.
He commended his team’s defensive effort in the first half and forcing Alabama to lose on the glass by a margin of six. Despite a lapse, Oklahoma still rallied back to get in front later in the second half and led the game for a total of 22 minutes and 14 seconds.
“But I told the guys, it was a hard postgame address because yes, they played their tails off. … That should be expected, but our defense … we rolled with seven guys today,” Moser said. “But finding ways to win these games is what we really − and we had opportunities. I thought Aiden Sherrell was a difference. Philon hit those back-to-back threes with like four minutes and some change. You get those misses. You get the one rebound in that kind of a tight game. “
Nate Oats wouldn’t have minded it, but Alabama didn’t need control for 40 minutes. Just a handful of late possessions that flipped Oklahoma’s opportunities into explanations.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.