Mark Sears and Rylan Griffen played like SEC veterans Saturday, combining for 37 points to help Alabama basketball escape Vanderbilt with a 78-75 victory in its conference opener.

Griffen got Alabama off to a hot start in the first half, while Sears scored 11 points in the game’s final seven minutes to help snuff out the Commodores' comeback attempt.

While the two returning guards started conference play on the right foot, their new teammates saw mixed results in their introduction to the SEC.

Here’s a look at how each of Alabama’s newcomers performed on their SEC debuts.

The blood coming from Aaron Estrada’s busted nose was flowing more than his jump shot Saturday. However, the Alabama point guard overcame both hardships in his SEC debut.

Estrada shot just 2 of 7 from the floor, including 1 of 5 from deep, but found other ways to help his team pull out what ended up as an ugly win. The Hofstra transfer led the Crimson Tide with seven assists and seven rebounds while also recording a block in the game’s final two minutes. His lob assist to Grant Nelson with 1:02 to play helped end a 6-0 Vanderbilt when it looked like the Commodores could stage a late comeback.

It was a forgettable afternoon for Alabama’s transfer forward. Nelson finished the game with just 9 points, his lowest total since the Tide’s win over Mercer on Nov. 17.

The North Dakota transfer finished 3 of 5 from the floor, including 1 of 3 from beyond the arc but, passed up a few open looks from deep. Nelson came into the game shooting 92.3% from the free-throw line but missed 2 of 3 attempts in the final minute, contributing to the Crimson Tide’s near collapse.

To his credit, Nelson recorded his second straight game with three blocks. However, he failed to crash the boards on a consistent basis, coming away with just five rebounds.

Mo Wague earned the start at center but saw the court for just seven minutes, coming away with three rebounds and an assist while failing to score. The West Virginia transfer did secure the game-clinching rebound on a missed free throw at the buzzer. However, that didn’t really matter since Alabama was leading by 3 with half a second remaining.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr. recorded his second straight double-digit performance, coming away with 11 points while making 3 of 7 shots from beyond the arc.

The Cal State Fullerton transfer knocked down two of his 3s early in the first half as Alabama built up a 31-15 lead. However, he missed all three of his shots in the second half, including a layup with under two minutes to play. Still, he had one of the better SEC debuts of Alabama’s newcomers.

“I thought he was great,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “Came in made shots. That’s two games in a row he’s really shot well for us, double-digit scoring in both games.”

If Sam Walters can figure out things on the defensive end, he could end up being a big weapon for the Crimson Tide. The freshman forward scored 8 points and was 2 of 4 from deep while leading the team with a +11 point differential during his 13 minutes on the court.

Still, defense continues to be a problem for the 6-foot-10, 198-pound wing. Walters’ time on the floor was limited as he picked up three fouls. He also doesn’t provide much of a presence down low due to his slight frame.

Jarin Stevenson put together a quiet SEC debut off the bench, chipping in 5 points and four rebounds over 15 minutes. The 6-foot-11, 210-pound forward hit an open 3 to put Alabama up by 10 in the second half. However, the Tide will need him to be more of a presence on the boards as conference play progresses.

Before the game, Oats told Crimson Tide Sports Network that he planed to reward Mo Dioubate with more playing time due to the freshman forward’s impressive week of practice. That didn’t plan didn’t play out Saturday, as Dioubate finished with 1 point and a rebound over four minutes on the floor.