TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Up three early in the first half, Alabama was looking to avoid another close battle with an SEC foe: enter Aiden Sherrell.

Shooting a team-low 16.7% from 3 this season, the five-star freshman let one go from the corner with under six minutes off the clock. As the ball hung in the air, Coleman Coliseum held its collective breath.

“BANG,” sounded ESPN broadcaster Matt Schumacker as the home faithful erupted following Sherrell's fifth 3 of the season.

Two more free throws from Sherrell pushed Alabama’s lead to eight. He struck again on the next offensive possession, sinking his second three in as many attempts. His eight points in just over two minutes fueled a 14-0 Alabama run, igniting an early “Kill Shot” for the Crimson Tide in an eventual 90-69 victory over Georgia.

“ It was a flow; we were in a flow,” Sherrell said postgame. “My teammates followed me, and I was creative for others. It's just all comes with the work that we've been putting in at practice.”

Shooting isn't necessarily Sherrell's strength, but the former McDonald's All-American has stayed the course this season despite being more of a role player for the Crimson Tide. Oats isn't surprised that Sherrell had a sudden breakout, and wants him to shoot as much as possible.

“We just keep encouraging him to shoot,” Oats said. “I tell him, in my mind, he's a 40 percent shooter. You know, don't worry about what the numbers say. As long as your feet are set and you're stepping in, it's a good shot; let it fly. He's happy to see the first one go in, and he hit the next one, so.”

Oats says that Sherrell’s performance in practice as of late was the biggest reason he saw the floor more against the Bulldogs, as the freshman has been one of the more high-effort players during practice according to his teammates.

“We do this poll where the guys grade the team as a whole on five categories and vote for practice MVP,” Oats said. “He had the most votes, I believe, in the last practice. So, you know, he's played well and deserved the minutes. We knew they played two bigs the entire game, so there'd be an opportunity for us to get our frontcourt some more minutes, and he took advantage of them.”

Sherrell finished with 10 points along with seven rebounds and an assist, all in 20 minutes. He also finished with a season-high 182 offensive rating on KenPom, Alabama, being +16 with the 6-foot-10 big man on the floor.

The freshman was also clutch on the defensive end, recording both a steal and a block.

Against Georgia’s two-big lineup, Sherrell was crucial in limiting Georgia's five-star freshman, Asa Newell. Sherrell’s length and athleticism helped hold Newell to just one-for-eight shooting in the first half, but he downplayed his individual performance, saying it was just part of the game plan.

“ I wouldn’t say I was gearing up specifically for him because, like every game, I’m prepared to guard the big guys down there in the post,” Sherrell said. “We just had a game plan for them, and we went out there and executed.”

Halfway through SEC play, Sherrell’s performance against Georgia can signal the start of a new role for the freshman. The five-star has played over ten minutes in two of his last four games, and if his shot continues to heat up, Sherrell can prove to be another weapon for Alabama as conference play heats up.

“ He's a floor spacer,” Alabama guard Mark Sears said. “He’s got to bring a big man out, and every time he’s open, I tell him to shoot.”

Alabama will wont play a mid-week game, but might need Sherrell to hit a few more more big shots when Alabama travels to Arkansas this Saturday.