UK vs Alabama game stats, highlights

On By Littum

LEXINGTON — Fresh off what was arguably the greatest season in school history, wrapped up Alabama‘s first Final Four appearance, Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope heaped praise on his colleague. Crimson Tide coaches Nate OatsPope said, “has been incredible” in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and has the program “in a great position,” both this season and the upcoming ones.

The Wildcats and Crimson Tide, both ranked in the top 10 in the two major polls (the USA TODAY coaches and that Associated Press) place today at Rupp Arena. They double as the top two scoring teams in the SEC: Alabama is tied for first nationally (tied with Iowa) at 89.5 points per game. match, with Great Britain second in line with 88.7.

The Wildcats and Crimson Tide like to push the tempo, space the floor and drain 3s.

“They’ve always been so potent and required you to guard the room,” Pope said. “Their pace is elite. … When you break down their possession consumption in the first six seconds and the other six seconds of the shot clock, by marks, that’s actually when they’re most (dangerous).”

Their similar philosophies offensively are a gift and a curse, Pope believes.

“They’re really, really efficient at the rim and their volume from the 3-point line is intense, right?” Pope said, referring to Alabama’s 31.2 3-point attempts per game, tops in the conference. “They haven’t shot it well, but their volume is always scary. Like the night they make shots, it’s sure to be a long night for their opponent.”

Follow along below for live updates from Rupp Arena:

Here’s a look at the final box score:

The Cats trail 47-45 at halftime after the Crimson Tide closed the final four minutes on a 10-5 run.

Bama forward Grant Nelson leads all scorers with 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field. UK was led by guard Otega Oweh and forward Amari Williams, who each scored eight points.

The most notable statistic, given the frantic pace of the game, is that both teams took care of the ball. Both Alabama and Kentucky had just four turnovers each.

With 7:59 left in the first half, Kentucky leads Alabama, 30-28.

UK is 11 for 23 (47.8%) from the field; Alabama is 10 of 21 (47.6%). Kentucky is 5 for 7 (71.4%) from beyond the 3-point line. Alabama, on the other hand, is 4 of 13 (30.8%) from distance.

However, both teams are struggling at the moment. The Wildcats have missed six of their last seven shots from the field, while the Crimson Tide have missed six straight and 8 of 9. The visitors haven’t scored a point in more than two minutes.

Here are Kentucky’s starters vs. Alabama:

And here’s Alabama’s lineup:

The contest between the Wildcats and the Crimson Tide will be shown on ESPN. Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst) will have the call.

Authorized subscribers can access ESPN through TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.comWatchESPN app or ESPN+.

You can also stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial version.

Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will call the UK radio network at 840 in Louisville and both at 630 and 98.1 FM in Lexington.

You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.

Betting odds: Kentucky is a 2-point home favorite (-110) at DraftKingswhich set the over/under to 179 ½ points (-110). Money line odds are Kentucky -135, Alabama +114.

  • 23 October: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
  • 29 October: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
  • November 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
  • November 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
  • November 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
  • November 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
  • November 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
  • November 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
  • November 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
  • Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
  • December 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
  • December 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
  • December 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
  • December 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
  • December 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
  • January 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
  • January 7: in Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
  • Jan. 11: at Mississippi State | SCORE: Kentucky 95, Mississippi State 90
  • January 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 81, Texas A&M 69
  • January 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN
  • Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
  • Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m. 19, ESPN
  • February 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), at 21, ESPN
  • Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. 19, ESPN
  • February 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
  • February 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), at 19, ESPN
  • Feb. 15: at Texas, 7 p.m. 20, ESPN
  • February 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), at 19, SEC Network
  • Feb. 22: at Alabama 6 p.m., ESPN
  • February 26: at Oklahoma 9 p.m., SEC Network
  • March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
  • March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), at 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
  • March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network

Record: 14-3 (3-1 SEK)

  • Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
  • Koby Brea (Guard, Candidate)
  • Lamont Butler (Guard, Candidate)
  • Andrew Carr (Forward, Candidate)
  • Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
  • Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
  • Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
  • Walker Horn (guard, junior)
  • Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
  • Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
  • Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
  • Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
  • Jaxson Robinson (Guard, Candidate)
  • Amari Williams (Center, Sophomore)

Alabama went 25-12 overall last seasonwith a mark of 13-5 SEC game. It reached the Final Four for the first time in program history. Its season ended in an 86-72 loss to eventual national champion UConn in the national semi-finals in NCAA tournament.

The Crimson Tide is 14-3 this season. It had several notable wins in non-conference play: Illinois, Houston, Rutgers, North Carolina and Creightonwhile dropping games to Purdue and Oregon. Alabama is 3-1 in conference competition and hitting Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas A&M but fits Miss Oleat home, in his latest outing.

Although UK is 117-41 all-time versus AlabamaThe Crimson Tide have earned a split in the last six meetings, with each team earning three wins.

Click here to view the Crimson Tide’s full 2024-25 schedule.

Want to learn the Crimson Tide’s roster?

Click here for player bios and more.

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and soccer reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.