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Nelson scores 25 points as No. 4 Alabama tops No. 8 Kentucky 102-97
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Grant Nelson had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 4 Alabama beat No. 8 Kentucky 102-97 on Saturday in a matchup of two of the top offensive teams in the country.
Nelson was 7 for 13 from the field and 9 for 10 at the line. He scored a total of 21 points in his previous three games.
Mark Sears scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half for Alabama (15-3, 4-1 SEC), which had five players score in double figures.
Kentucky (14-4, 3-2) had won two in a row since an 82-69 loss at Georgia. Otega Oweh had 21 points for the Wildcats, and Lamont Butler finished with 17 points and eight assists.
Kentucky grabbed a 56-52 lead on Brandon Garrison's dunk with 16:13 left. But Alabama responded with a 14-2 run.
Sears started the big sequence with a jumper. He also picked up an assist when Aden Holloway's 3-pointer made it 66-58 with 12:33 remaining.
Alabama: The Tide went 29 for 34 at the line, helping the team hold on down the stretch.
Kentucky: The Wildcats struggled to come up with a defensive stop at key moments throughout the game.
After Garrison’s dunk tied it at 81, Labaron Philon had five points in a 9-0 run for Alabama.
Alabama forced Kentucky, one of the nation’s top 3-point shooting teams, to drive inside much of the second half. Alabama went 13 for 34 from behind the arc, compared to 11 for 27 for Kentucky.
Alabama hosts Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Kentucky has a week off before going to Vanderbilt next Saturday.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Clifford Omoruyi vs. Amari Williams (Mark Sears gains possession) | ||
| 19:50 |  | +2 | Clifford Omoruyi makes two point dunk (Grant Nelson assists) | 2-0 |
| 19:38 | | Labaron Philon personal foul | ||
| 19:35 | | Jaxson Robinson misses two point jump shot | ||
| 19:33 | | Otega Oweh offensive rebound | ||
| 19:28 | | +2 | Otega Oweh makes two point layup | 2-2 |
| 19:18 | | Amari Williams blocks Grant Nelson's two point layup | ||
| 19:16 | | Wildcats defensive rebound | ||
| 19:06 | | Jaxson Robinson misses two point jump shot | ||
| 19:04 | | Wildcats offensive rebound | ||
| 18:39 | | +2 | Amari Williams makes two point jump shot (Lamont Butler assists) | 2-4 |
| 18:19 | | Jarin Stevenson misses two point layup | ||
| 18:17 | | Crimson Tide offensive rebound | ||
| 18:03 | | Grant Nelson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 18:01 | | Otega Oweh defensive rebound | ||
| 17:57 | | +3 | Jaxson Robinson makes three point jump shot (Otega Oweh assists) | 2-7 |
| 17:27 | | +3 | Grant Nelson makes three point jump shot (Labaron Philon assists) | 5-7 |
| 17:11 | | Jaxson Robinson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 17:09 | | Jarin Stevenson defensive rebound | ||
| 17:03 | | +3 | Mark Sears makes three point jump shot (Labaron Philon assists) | 8-7 |
| 16:49 | | Otega Oweh misses two point jump shot | ||
| 16:47 | | Clifford Omoruyi defensive rebound | ||
| 16:39 | | +2 | Grant Nelson makes two point layup (Mark Sears assists) | 10-7 |
| 16:16 | | Lamont Butler misses two point jump shot | ||
| 16:14 | | Grant Nelson defensive rebound | ||
| 16:06 | | +3 | Grant Nelson makes three point jump shot (Mark Sears assists) | 13-7 |
| 15:51 | | +2 | Lamont Butler makes two point layup | 13-9 |
| 15:41 | | Andrew Carr shooting foul (Grant Nelson draws the foul) | ||
| 15:41 | | TV timeout | ||
| 15:41 | | +1 | Grant Nelson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-9 |
| 15:41 | | +1 | Grant Nelson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-9 |
| 15:29 | | Travis Perry misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:27 | | Mouhamed Dioubate defensive rebound | ||
| 15:11 | | +3 | Aden Holloway makes three point jump shot (Mouhamed Dioubate assists) | 18-9 |
| 14:53 | | +3 | Koby Brea makes three point jump shot | 18-12 |
| 14:27 | | +2 | Grant Nelson makes two point layup (Mark Sears assists) | 20-12 |
| 14:16 | | +3 | Jaxson Robinson makes three point jump shot (Brandon Garrison assists) | 20-15 |
| 14:02 | | +2 | Chris Youngblood makes two point layup (Aden Holloway assists) | 22-15 |
| 13:30 | | +2 | Koby Brea makes two point jump shot | 22-17 |
| 13:20 | | +2 | Mark Sears makes two point layup | 24-17 |
| 13:08 | | Chris Youngblood personal foul (Koby Brea draws the foul) | ||
| 12:58 | | Jarin Stevenson shooting foul (Otega Oweh draws the foul) | ||
| 12:58 | | +1 | Otega Oweh makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-18 |
| 12:58 | | +1 | Otega Oweh makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 24-19 |
| 12:35 | | Aden Holloway misses three point jump shot | ||
| 12:33 | | Otega Oweh defensive rebound | ||
| 12:27 | | +2 | Brandon Garrison makes two point layup (Otega Oweh assists) | 24-21 |
| 12:11 | | Mark Sears misses three point jump shot | ||
| 12:09 | | Clifford Omoruyi offensive rebound | ||
| 12:05 | | +2 | Clifford Omoruyi makes two point dunk | 26-21 |
| 11:47 | | +3 | Ansley Almonor makes three point jump shot (Brandon Garrison assists) | 26-24 |
| 11:29 | | Chris Youngblood misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:27 | | Jarin Stevenson offensive rebound | ||
| 11:22 | | Aden Holloway misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:20 | | Koby Brea defensive rebound | ||
| 11:07 | | +3 | Brandon Garrison makes three point jump shot (Lamont Butler assists) | 26-27 |
| 10:48 | | Jump ball. Chris Youngblood vs. Koby Brea (Koby Brea gains possession) | ||
| 10:48 | | Chris Youngblood turnover (lost ball) (Koby Brea steals) | ||
| 10:48 | | TV timeout | ||
| 10:31 | | Clifford Omoruyi shooting foul (Amari Williams draws the foul) | ||
| 10:31 | | Amari Williams misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 10:31 | | +1 | Amari Williams makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-28 |
| 10:09 | | Amari Williams shooting foul (Clifford Omoruyi draws the foul) | ||
| 10:09 | | +1 | Clifford Omoruyi makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-28 |
| 10:09 | | +1 | Clifford Omoruyi makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-28 |
| 9:58 | | Clifford Omoruyi blocks Amari Williams's two point layup | ||
| 9:56 | | Amari Williams offensive rebound | ||
| 9:54 | | Amari Williams misses two point layup | ||
| 9:52 | | Clifford Omoruyi defensive rebound | ||
| 9:44 | | Labaron Philon misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:42 | | Otega Oweh defensive rebound | ||
| 9:38 | | Jarin Stevenson blocks Otega Oweh's two point layup | ||
| 9:36 | | Wildcats offensive rebound | ||
| 9:22 | | Andrew Carr misses two point jump shot | ||
| 9:20 | | Jaxson Robinson offensive rebound | ||
| 9:12 | | Amari Williams misses two point layup | ||
| 9:10 | | Amari Williams offensive rebound | ||
| 9:05 | | +2 | Amari Williams makes two point layup | 28-30 |
| 8:53 | | Grant Nelson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:51 | | Amari Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 8:46 | | Amari Williams turnover (bad pass) (Jarin Stevenson steals) | ||
| 8:39 | | Mark Sears misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:37 | | Andrew Carr defensive rebound | ||
| 8:16 | | Amari Williams misses two point layup | ||
| 8:14 | | Jarin Stevenson defensive rebound | ||
| 8:07 | | Jarin Stevenson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:05 | | Labaron Philon offensive rebound | ||
| 7:59 | | Mark Sears turnover (lost ball) (Lamont Butler steals) | ||
| 7:59 | | Mark Sears personal foul (Lamont Butler draws the foul) | ||
| 7:59 | | TV timeout | ||
| 7:46 | | +2 | Otega Oweh makes two point jump shot | 28-32 |
| 7:26 | | Labaron Philon misses two point jump shot | ||
| 7:24 | | Travis Perry defensive rebound | ||
| 7:20 | | +2 | Otega Oweh makes two point layup (Travis Perry assists) | 28-34 |
| 7:00 | | +2 | Mouhamed Dioubate makes two point layup (Aden Holloway assists) | 30-34 |
| 7:00 | | Andrew Carr shooting foul (Mouhamed Dioubate draws the foul) | ||
| 7:00 | | Mouhamed Dioubate misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | ||
| 7:00 | | Brandon Garrison defensive rebound | ||
| 6:45 | | Travis Perry turnover (bad pass) (Mouhamed Dioubate steals) | ||
| 6:34 | | Aden Holloway misses two point jump shot | ||
| 6:32 | | Mouhamed Dioubate offensive rebound | ||
| 6:32 | | Mouhamed Dioubate misses two point layup | ||
| 6:30 | | Brandon Garrison defensive rebound | ||
| 6:30 | | Mouhamed Dioubate personal foul | ||
| 6:06 | | Otega Oweh misses two point layup | ||
| 6:04 | | Chris Youngblood defensive rebound | ||
| 5:56 | | Aden Holloway misses two point jump shot | ||
| 5:55 | | Ansley Almonor defensive rebound | ||
| 5:55 | | Mouhamed Dioubate personal foul | ||
| 5:55 | | +1 | Ansley Almonor makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 30-35 |
| 5:55 | | +1 | Ansley Almonor makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 30-36 |
| 5:45 | | Jaxson Robinson personal foul (Grant Nelson draws the foul) | ||
| 5:33 | | +2 | Clifford Omoruyi makes two point dunk (Labaron Philon assists) | 32-36 |
| 5:11 | | Brandon Garrison misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:10 | | Ansley Almonor offensive rebound | ||
| 5:10 | | Aden Holloway personal foul (Ansley Almonor draws the foul) | ||
| 5:10 | | +1 | Ansley Almonor makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 32-37 |
| 5:10 | | +1 | Ansley Almonor makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-38 |
| 4:58 | | Mark Sears misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:56 | | Lamont Butler defensive rebound | ||
| 4:45 | | Jaxson Robinson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:43 | | Clifford Omoruyi defensive rebound | ||
| 4:41 | | Labaron Philon misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:39 | | Grant Nelson offensive rebound | ||
| 4:39 | | +2 | Grant Nelson makes two point layup | 34-38 |
| 4:39 | | Ansley Almonor shooting foul (Grant Nelson draws the foul) | ||
| 4:39 | | +1 | Grant Nelson makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 35-38 |
| 4:27 | | Amari Williams turnover (bad pass) (Labaron Philon steals) | ||
| 4:23 | | Jaxson Robinson shooting foul (Labaron Philon draws the foul) | ||
| 4:23 | | +1 | Labaron Philon makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 36-38 |
| 4:23 | | +1 | Labaron Philon makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 37-38 |
| 4:07 | | Lamont Butler misses two point layup | ||
| 4:05 | | Amari Williams offensive rebound | ||
| 4:02 | | +2 | Amari Williams makes two point layup | 37-40 |
| 3:56 | | Grant Nelson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:54 | | Labaron Philon offensive rebound | ||
| 3:50 | | Clifford Omoruyi misses two point jump shot | ||
| 3:47 | | Labaron Philon offensive rebound | ||
| 3:47 | | Mark Sears misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:45 | | Koby Brea defensive rebound | ||
| 3:35 | | Andrew Carr misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:33 | | Amari Williams offensive rebound | ||
| 3:27 | | Otega Oweh misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:25 | | Grant Nelson defensive rebound | ||
| 3:16 | | Andrew Carr shooting foul (Grant Nelson draws the foul) | ||
| 3:16 | | TV timeout | ||
| 3:16 | | +1 | Grant Nelson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 38-40 |
| 3:16 | | +1 | Grant Nelson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 39-40 |
| 2:59 | | Lamont Butler misses two point layup | ||
| 2:57 | | Mouhamed Dioubate defensive rebound | ||
| 2:40 | | Aden Holloway turnover (bad pass) | ||
| 2:30 | | Jaxson Robinson turnover (traveling) | ||
| 2:21 | | Otega Oweh blocks Labaron Philon's two point layup | ||
| 2:21 | | Crimson Tide offensive rebound | ||
| 2:15 | | +2 | Grant Nelson makes two point layup | 41-40 |
| 2:00 | | Aden Holloway personal foul (Amari Williams draws the foul) | ||
| 2:00 | | Amari Williams misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | ||
| 2:00 | | Mouhamed Dioubate defensive rebound | ||
| 1:48 | | +3 | Mark Sears makes three point jump shot (Grant Nelson assists) | 44-40 |
| 1:39 | | Amari Williams misses two point layup | ||
| 1:37 | | Grant Nelson defensive rebound | ||
| 1:31 | | Labaron Philon misses two point jump shot | ||
| 1:30 | | Amari Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 1:30 | | Mouhamed Dioubate personal foul | ||
| 1:30 | | Amari Williams misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 1:30 | | +1 | Amari Williams makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 44-41 |
| 1:02 | | +3 | Labaron Philon makes three point jump shot (Mark Sears assists) | 47-41 |
| 0:44 | | +2 | Brandon Garrison makes two point layup (Lamont Butler assists) | 47-43 |
| 0:13 | | Crimson Tide 30 second timeout | ||
| 0:08 | | Koby Brea blocks Mark Sears's two point jump shot | ||
| 0:08 | | Clifford Omoruyi offensive rebound | ||
| 0:08 | | Crimson Tide turnover (shot clock violation) | ||
| 0:08 | | Wildcats 30 second timeout | ||
| 0:01 | | Chris Youngblood shooting foul (Lamont Butler draws the foul) | ||
| 0:01 | | +1 | Lamont Butler makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 47-44 |
| 0:01 | | +1 | Lamont Butler makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 47-45 |
| 0:00 | | End of period |