TUSCALOOSA, Ala — Alabama’s grueling final stretch continued with disappointment Wednesday night, as No. 5 Florida came to Tuscaloosa and handed the Crimson Tide its second consecutive loss in a 99-94 win.
"The Crimson Tide held a 52-47 advantage early in the second half, but a decisive run by Florida, led by Australian big man Alex Condon—who finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds—put the Gators in the driver’s seat down the stretch. Despite a late comeback attempt by Alabama, Florida held on for the victory.
Before we move on to Alabama’s final regular season game on Saturday against the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers, here are five key numbers that defined the Tide’s loss to the Gators.
35 - Alabama had a rough game on the glass posting its fifth lowest number of total rebounds this season of 35, while losing the battle on the glass by 16, its worst margin of the season since playing Illinois on Nov. 20 (-7).
Freshman guard Labaron Philon says Alabama needs to do the little things better to avoid a similar fate down the season's stretch.
“It's really about the small details,” Philon said. “Just boxing out and being able to have pop and just, just when the ball's off the rim, just go get it… And it was obvious, you know, they were beating us to every ball. So we just gotta come back in and get better and be ready to work hard.”
When commenting on the brutal night, Nate Oats mentioned some of Alabama’s blue collar traits.
“We're going to have to challenge some of these guys,” Oats said. “...They're going to have to determine whether they want to make some tough plays or not. I didn't think we made too many tough plays tonight.”
13 - Alabama struggled mightily finishing at the rim against Florida, going 13-for-27 on layups and at one point just 10-for-24.
Multiple players had trouble scoring inside the arc. Grant Nelson went 3-for-9 on two-point attempts, while Mo Dioubate finished 0-for-4.
20 - With a 30-point performance against Florida, Mark Sears has now scored 20 or more points in five straight games against ranked opponents.
Sears’ streak spans Alabama’s past five games, beginning with a 35-point performance against No. 15 Missouri. He followed that with 30 against No. 17 Kentucky and 21 against No. 24 Mississippi State. Despite Sears scoring 24 against No. 5 Tennessee and 30 against No. 5 Florida, Alabama is just 2-3 in its last five games.
Despite the rough night, Oats credited Sears, who was honored on senior night as one of the program's top players of all time.
“I mean, he's done a lot for us,” Oats said. “first and only Final Four we've ever played in. He's a National Player of the Year candidate going into the year. Been a top 10 team all year. He's been a leader. I think he's playing really hard.”
24 - Once tied at 55, Florida’s 24-10 run in the second half crushed Alabama’s hopes, extending the Gators’ lead to a game-high 79-65, one they would not relinquish. During the stretch, Alabama missed 13 shots and two free throws. The nearly nine-minute run buried the Crimson Tide’s chances at a win, despite efforts to cut the lead to six late.
68% - Alabama shot a brutal 68% from the charity stripe, and missed multiple crucial ones during Florida’s second half run.
If not for some late free throws when the game was virtually decided, and a perfect night at the line from Clifford Omoruyi, Alabama’s free-throw percentage would have been even worse. In the second half, Mo Dioubate missed three attempts, while Grant Nelson missed two and Mark Sears missed one.
