J.D. Hall 
Kentucky Basketball
Kentucky traveled to Tuscaloosa on Saturday looking to split the season series with Alabama after losing a high-scoring game at Rupp. Mark Sears didn’t let that happen. The senior guard dropped 30 points to help end Alabama’s two-game losing streak.
The game started well for Kentucky as they raced out to a 30-18 lead. The Wildcats came out firing, hitting six of their first ten three-pointers, but things changed in the last eight and a half minutes of the first half. That’s when Andrew Carr picked up his second foul and went to the bench. Alabama responded with a 26-10 run to take a 47-40 lead into halftime.
Alabama pushed the lead to 11 early in the second half, but Kentucky fought back. The Wildcats cut the lead to four after a Travis Perry layup, two Amari Williams free throws, and Carr’s third three-pointer of the game. They got as close as 63-60 with just over 11 minutes remaining, but Alabama took final control of the game with 6:43 left.
Following Otega Oweh’s fifth foul, Aden Holloway missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Alabama secured the offensive rebound. Chris Youngblood then knocked down a jumper while drawing a foul. He converted the free throw to extend the lead to 12.
Kentucky made one final push, cutting the lead to seven with just under three minutes to play after a Collin Chandler three-pointer. But Alabama had the answer behind their star, Sears. He hit two free throws and a three-pointer to effectively put the game away. Youngblood added another three-pointer to give Alabama its largest lead, 94-79, with just 1:38 remaining. The Wildcats ultimately fell 96-83.
Sears was the star of the game. Anytime Alabama needed a play on offense, he delivered. He finished with 30 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. He also added four assists and two steals. He didn’t do it alone, though. Holloway contributed 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-12 from three-point range. Youngblood added 14 points, shooting 3-of-5 from deep, and Cliff Omoruyi chipped in 11 points while grabbing 15 rebounds. But it was Sears who ignited Alabama’s first-half run and sealed the victory at the end.
Oweh, on the other hand, had his worst game in a Kentucky uniform. His streak of 26 consecutive double-digit scoring games ended as he managed just two points on 1-of-9 shooting before fouling out with under seven minutes to play. In another game without Butler and Robinson, Kentucky needed contributions from everyone—especially their leading scorer.
The Wildcats still had four players in double figures, led by Kobe Brea’s 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-10 from three. Carr looked like his early-season self, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, while adding six rebounds. Williams continued his stretch of strong play with another 17-point performance, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 7-of-10 from the line, while also grabbing 11 rebounds. The final double-digit scorer was Perry, who posted a career-high 12 points. Although he struggled from three (1-of-7), he contributed defensively with four steals.
It was a tough loss, but the Wildcats will get an extra day of rest before their next game at Oklahoma. The Sooners, coming off a win over Ole Miss, will be fighting for their tournament lives, so Kentucky will need to be ready. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. in Norman on SEC Network.
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