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Heading into Tuesday night’s game against Mississippi State, Alabama forward Riley Norris listed two areas the Crimson Tide would need to improve on from its last meeting against the Bulldogs: rebounding and transition defense. Alabama failed to do both in a frustrating 81-62 loss at Humphrey Coliseum
Overwhelmed and oftentimes out-hustled, Alabama suffered one of its sloppiest showings of the season, turning the ball over 18 times resulting in 28 Mississippi State points. Rebounding was also an issue as the Bulldogs outmuscled the Crimson Tide 35-26 on the boards. Alabama didn’t record its first offensive rebound until 4:57 left in the first half. That coupled with a tepid start to the game saw the Crimson Tide dig itself into a double-digit deficit it could never seem to shake.
The humbling defeat snaps a two-game winning streak for Alabama (15-9, 6-5 in the SEC) which had recorded consecutive wins for the first time since the beginning of conference play. Mississippi State (17-7, 5-6) snapped a two-game skid. The victory helped the Bulldogs avenge an 83-79 loss to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last month.
Trailing by as many as 16 points early in the second half, Alabama trimmed the deficit to 62-53 with 8:28 remaining. However, the Crimson Tide turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions, allowing the Bulldogs to extend the lead back to double digits.
After a slow start, Kira Lewis Jr. scored 14 second-half points to finish with 17 on the night. The freshman was one of four Alabama players in double figures, joining Tevin Mack (13 points) Dazon Ingram (12) and Donta Hall (11). An Alabama bench which has long been a staple for the Crimson Tide this season, accounted for just five points Tuesday night.
Mississippi State was led by Lamar Peters who scored a game-high 22 points. Joining Peters in double figures were Quinndary Weatherspoon (20), Reggie Perry (14) and Abdul Ado (10). Weatherspoon scored 14 of his points after the break. At one point in the second half, he scored 10 straight points for the Bulldogs.
Next up
Alabama returns home to take on Florida (12-11, 4-6) on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The two teams split last season with the Crimson Tide winning 68-50 in Tuscaloosa, and the Gators winning 73-52 in Gainesville, Fla.
Florida entered the week last in the SEC in rebounding (34 rpg) and second to last in scoring (68.4 ppg). The Gators are lead by senior guard KeVaughn Allen, who averages 12.8 points per game. Senior forward Kevarrius Hayes averages 7.0 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds and ranks third in the conference with 2.1 blocks per game.
Following the game against Florida, Alabama will travel to Texas A&M on Feb 17. The Aggies beat the Crimson Tide on a buzzer-beating 3 in Tuscaloosa earlier this season.
