Alabama’s cold -blooded young blood sinks quietly 3s, Mississippi State

On By Littum

Chris Youngblood made 3-Pointers in 124 of his first 133 college basketball games.

But seven?

His performance Wednesday night in Alabama’s 88-84 win at No. 14 Mississippi State was a career-best for senior.

The transfer that previously played in Kennesaw State and South Florida went 7-by-10 from long reach to score a season high 23 points and key Crimson Tide’s most accurate circumference night of the season.

Alabama (18-3, 7-1 sec) made 15 of 31 shots behind the arch for a season-best 48.4 shooting percentage of 3-point shoots. Its former high was 44.4% against UNC Asheville (8-for-18), while the 15 made shots are second best behind 19 (on 55 attempts) against South Dakota State.

Youngblood made almost half of the deep balls on one night Alabama scraped with the bulldogs from opening tips.

He went 4-for-5 in the first half before making three equally late on the second-every one came with the game either bound or within a basket of it.

He set the tide 80-77 with 4:15 back on his last shot from the field, while his two free kicks with 10 seconds left gave visitors an 87-84 lead.

Youngblood was asked in Postgame Newsconference if he had ever had a game where he made 70% of 10 shots from the perimeter.

“I’m pretty humble, I’m pretty sure I’m having it,” said Youngblood. “But yes, you just don’t really think about it. Go shot for shots. Don’t think of the next shot or last shot. I missed two free kicks in a row. It was crazy. But you just know. Just keep it going. “

If he had another 7-for-10 game, it wasn’t at the college level. He made six 3-Pointers on three occasions including a 6-for-7 night last February at Rice when he played for South Florida.

Mark Sears added 17 points while making 3 of his 5 shots from the circumference, but it was Grant Nelson’s shot from the corner that set the tide up for good. The game was attached to 80 when Sears discovered him with 2:30. His only made 3 out of five attempts gave Alabama a lead, it would not surrender.

But it was Youngblood’s Deadeye shooting that had the visitors in this position.

“Hopefully this Chris’s Coming Out Party is here,” said Alabama -coach Nate Oats, “because he looked pretty, pretty good at both ends of the floor.”

Nelson had 15 points for Alabama, while Aden Holloway had 12 while walking 3-for-7 from 3-point reach.

This was a game that included 11 lead changes and seven ties, but Alabama led to 24:28, while MSU was up to 12:03.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Bycasagrande or on Facebook.