Nate Oats says first half vs. Mississippi State was Alabama basketball at its best
By Luke Greco
Published:
Alabama’s run-and-gun style was on full display in the first half versus Mississippi State on Wednesday night, as the Crimson Tide knocked down 16 first-half 3-pointers.
Alabama defeated Mississippi State, 100-75, on Wednesday. The Tide came out on fire, making their first 7 3-pointers to give themselves a 22-6 lead over the Bulldogs. By the under-8 timeout, the Tide had extended their lead to 19, thanks in part to 10 made 3-pointers. Heading into the halftime break, the Tide led by 30 points, 63-33.
Head coach Nate Oats commented on the Tide’s first half in his postgame presser, calling it a peak performance.
“I thought the first half was the best half of basketball we’ve played all year and the ball moved well with (Labaron) Philon out,” Oats said. “Amari (Allen) was hitting 3s, and as a team, we shot it well. In the second half, I was a little disappointed with the leadership. I thought we played the scoreboard too much.”
The Tide would let the Bulldogs get some life in the second half, as a 25-5 run cut the lead to 19 with just over 5 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, that would be the closest it got, as the Tide would respond with a 14-3 run that got the lead back up to 30.
Alabama finished the game with 22 3-pointers, tied for the most in a game this season. The 16 first-half triples were the most Alabama has ever hit in a single half under Oats.
The win was Alabama’s seventh straight on the season and its 10th consecutive over Mississippi State. The Tide certainly seem to be peaking. Kalshi gives Alabama an 8% chance to reach the Final Four later this season.
