Field Level Media
Feb 3, 2021
Jaden Shackelford scored 19 points Wednesday night as No. 10 Alabama stayed undefeated in SEC play with a 78-60 victory over LSU in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alex Reese scored 13 points, Juwan Gary 12, and Keon Ellis and Jahvon Quinerly had 10 each as the Crimson Tide (15-4, 10-0) won for the 11th time in 12 games.
Cameron Thomas scored 22 points and Javonte Smart added 14 to lead the Tigers (11-6, 6-4), playing their first game without leading rebounder Darius Days, who is expected to miss two weeks because of a knee injury.
In their last meeting, the Crimson Tide set an SEC record by making 23 3-pointers in a 105-75 rout of LSU on Jan. 19, but they won the rematch in a much different manner.
After controlling the first meeting by hitting a barrage of first-half 3-point shots, Alabama led big early in the first meeting, but Wednesday didn't seize control until the second half. The Tide didn't make a 3-pointer until its sixth basket of the game, when Qunierly gave them a 15-9 lead.
Smart's layup pulled LSU to within 28-21 but Shackelford answered with a layup and the Tide extended the lead to as many as 10 points. Thomas made two free throws and Smart hit a jumper to cut Alabama's lead to 36-30 at halftime.
But the Tide started the second half with an 11-2 run that turned the six-point halftime advantage into a 47-32 lead.
Trendon Watford made a jumper for LSU, but Alabama scored the next seven points to expand their lead to 54-34 with 12:53 remaining and the Tigers would never get closer than 15 after that.
Alabama made just six of 24 3-point attempts on the night, but LSU failed to take advantage, making just four of 17. Overall, the Tide outshot the Tigers by 47.8 to 30.8 percent, and outrebounded them 51-35.
--Field Level Media