LEXINGTON, Ky. — There was no fear in the eyes of Mouhamed Dioubate when he subbed into the first half of No. 4 Alabama basketball’s 102-97 win over No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday. The large Kentucky crowd inside Rupp Arena seemed to energize Dioubate, rather than the hosts, as he tallied eight points and eight rebounds in just 15 minutes on the floor. That energy was carried by Dioubate’s Alabama teammates, who all contributed to a key bounce-back win Saturday.

The Tide entered the matchup against Kentucky with a 4-1 record in true road games. Not only did it improve on that mark and bounce back from a lethargic 74-64 loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday, but the Tide seemed to relish playing in one of college basketball’s best environments and defeated a Kentucky side to pick up its third road win against a ranked team.

“I think some of the guys mentality — we got tough kids,” coach Nate Oats said. “You kind of start with Dioubate. He wasn’t fazed by any of this stuff. He’s a tough, New York City kid. Part of me almost thinks some of these guys are going on the road. The place didn’t empty until around 10 seconds to go so it’s not like it emptied super early but I almost think — some guys, like real competitors like going into a little bit more hostile environment and kind of coming out with a big win nobody expected."

Alabama now has two wins against AP top-10 teams in SEC play along with a victory over then-No. 20 North Carolina. The Tide is the only team in the KenPom.com era to register road wins vs. the Tar Heels and the Wildcats.

Tuesday’s Ole Miss blip is sandwiched between Saturday’s win and a victory over then-No. 10 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. Alabama beat the Aggies at their own game in a few aspects, including winning the rebounding battle and withstanding a late push in the closing minutes. After the game, guard Labaron Philon was seen waiving to the Texas A&M students as they left the building.

It was a similar story on Saturday. The Tide was much better on the offensive glass, with 15 O-boards against the Wildcats after having just four against the Rebels. Alabama matched and then bettered an elite Kentucky offense, averaging 1.3 points per possession and shooting 38.2% from 3-point range. The Tide finished with five double-digit scorers, including Grant Nelson, who rebounded from a shooting slump with 25 points, including two made 3 and a 9 of 10 mark at the free throw line after going a combined 5 of 11 against Ole Miss and South Carolina.

“I don’t think anybody expected us to play this well, but our guys did,” Oats said. "When we’re going in there, I told them after the game Tuesday, after Ole Miss, I told them Thursday that we are going in there and we are getting a win by any means necessary. If you’re not planning on getting a win, just pack your bag because you’re not getting on the plane. So, we came in I thought with the right mindset and guys made sure we got a win, whatever it took. When we screwed up some defensive assignments, keep playing and make some tough shots on the offensive side, get to the free throw line, get some O-boards."

The hard lesson against Ole Miss appeared to be looming. Lapses in non-conference play suggested an Alabama side that struggled to keep the pedal to the metal with big leads and the Tide completely overlooked its opponent Tuesday night.

That didn’t create much cause for confidence heading on the road against a top-10 team and a notorious environment. But for a fifth time this season, Alabama got back on track on the road. It sent the Kentucky crowd home unhappy while proving that a seemingly demoralizing loss to the Rebels can instead be a turning point early in SEC play for a team that is quickly establishing an identity as a successful road outfit.

“I think the loss to Ole Miss got us focused,” Oats said. “This was a completely different team than the one that played Ole Miss. So, if we learn the lessons that we need in that loss Tuesday and we don’t forget them for the remainder of the year, it may be the best thing to happen to us. We just gotta make sure this isn’t a one-game deal. We’ve gotta continue to do the things we’ve done since Tuesday night.”

Alabama will look to take its positive momentum back to more friendly territory. The Tide has games against Vanderbilt and LSU inside Coleman Coliseum. It begins that stretch against the Commodores at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.