Alabama bounces back in record fashion, 101-44 over Vanderbilt

Want to bounce back? How about a Superball dropped from a tall building?

Alabama returned to Coleman Coliseum and Southeastern Conference play on Tuesday and as bad as last week’s loss to Oklahoma (93-69), they were swept away in record fashion as the Crimson Tide picked up a 101-44 win over Vanderbilt.

It was the largest margin of victory—57 points—in Alabama SEC basketball history.

Alabama improved to 19-3 overall and 9-0 in the Southeastern Conference lead, while the Commodores fell to 10-12 and 3-6.

Alabama continues SEC play Saturday at LSU, whistle blowing at 3 p.m. CST (ESPNU). The Tide beat the Tigers 106-66 in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 14. Bama returns to Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday, February 8, hosting Florida.

100+ points are a crowd pleaser, but consider the Crimson Tide defense. Vanderbilt was just 3-30 on three-point tries, 10%. Overall, the Commodores were between the ages of 16 and 64, 25%. Meanwhile, Alabama was 36-61 on field goals, 59 percent, and 19-41 on treys, 46 percent.

Bama had 29 assists for just 12 turnovers. The Tide won the rebound battle, 45-33.

In points on turnovers, Bama led 27-6; points in the paint Alabama 32-18; and bench points favored UA 48-20. Vanderbilt had more points in the paint, 32-18.

Brandon Miller was Bama’s top scorer with 22 points on 8-15 from the field of 4, including 6-13 treys. Nimari Burnett, who had missed much of the season through injury, came off the bench with 16, while substitutes Rylan Griffin had 12 and Noah Gurley 11. Charles Bediako was also in double figures with 10 on a 5-5 shot. Noah Clowney fell short of the double numbers (6 points) but ended his three-point shooting drought, making it 2-4 from the back of the ard.

Mark Sears had 8 assists and Jahvon Quinerly 7. Miller was Bama’s leading rebounder with 8.

Vanderbilt’s only doubles scorer was Paul Lewis with 10.

“They answered the bell after the Oklahoma game,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said.

“I thought we were blue collar. Vanderbilt is a tough team, but we were tougher.

“The players kind of practiced” to bounce back after the Oklahoma game, he said, noting the extra time spent shooting on their own.

He added that the rebound, defense and shooting were good. He said it was all about effort, and even if the shots hadn’t gone down, he would have been satisfied.
Oats said he was happy for the guys.

“Now we have to go play the game on the road at LSU.”

Alabama overshot the 50-point advantage, 85-34, on a Sears base move with 8 minutes left.

Before the game, Oats had expressed concern that Alabama had enjoyed a 23-point lead at Vanderbilt earlier this year and allowed the Commodores to make a play of it before the Tide won 78. -66. With a 43-15 lead (it’s true: 15) at halftime, 28 points, the concern was in the Vandy locker room. The game was almost over.

From when the Tide was leading 13-5, Vanderbilt more than doubled the points the rest of the way.

In the scoring progression analysis, each of the 14 men who played was more, led by Miller (Bama advancing 40 points in his playing time before going out with five minutes to play), Charles Bediako 37, Nimari Burnett 32 and Rylan Griffin 31.

Vanderbilt had scored the game’s first five points as Bama started slow, but when the tide warmed up, it was smoking. Alabama went on a 21-point run and the Commodores never got closer to 13 points after that. (The only tie was at 5-5.)

It was a 21-point lead at 31-10 and a 31-point Tide advantage (43-12) before the Commdores hit a trey just before intermission.

Bama scored 15-26 field goals (57.7%) including 10-19 three-pointers (52.6%) while keeping Vandy at 5-33 (15.2%).

Alabama had just 6 turnovers in the first half, about the same number of airballs by visitors. Mark Sears had 6 of Tide’s 13 assists.

Nine of 10 Tiders who played scored, led by Nimari Burnett with 11 points, 4-4, including three treys.

TIDAL NOTES: The starters for Alabama were as they were, guards Jaden Bradley and Mark Sears, center Charles Bediako and forwards Noah Clowney and Brandon Miller.

Although he didn’t start, Vandy’s top scorer and rebounder, Liam Robbins, entered the game five minutes later. In Bama’s previous game against Vanderbiult in Nashville, Robbins missed the game and was forfeited for the season. It was his first appearance since his injury. He played 15½ minutes and scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Although it was nearly full, there were a number of empty seats. Still, much like the game in Nashville earlier this year, Bama fans were in the majority.

It was Alabama’s second sweep against an SEC opponent this year, Mississippi State earlier.