Mark Sears scored 21 points, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had 19 and hot-shooting Alabama pulled away from LSU for a 109-88 victory on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Aaron Estrada scored 18 points and Rylan Griffen and Grant Nelson each added 12 as the Crimson Tide (14-6, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from 3-point range. The Tide, who kept rolling three days after a 79-75 home victory against No. 8 Auburn, currently sit atop the SEC.
Mike Williams III scored 16 points and Derek Fountain had 14 to lead the Tigers (11-9, 3-4), who lost their third straight. Will Baker chipped in 12 points, Jalen Cook had 11 and Jordan Wright added 10.
Alabama trailed for just 1:26 and led by as many as 23 points, doing so in the second half.
Wright scored on a drive to the hoop for the first points of the second half, but Estrada followed with seven quick points to help the Tide open up a 59-50 lead with 16:27 left.
Baker answered with a 3-pointer, but Wrightsell scored the next five points to give Alabama an 11-point advantage.
LSU crept within seven before Griffen started and capped an 11-1 run with 3-pointers to put the Crimson Tide up 75-58 with 11:11 remaining.
Griffen made a 3-pointer and had three assists to help the Tide take a 15-10 lead.
Consecutive jumpers by Williams and Wright helped the Tigers take an 18-17 edge.
The score was tied at 20 before Alabama scored the next six points. Cook answered with two 3-pointers that produced another tie at 26.
The lead changed hands five times before the score was tied again at 32.
Alabama later scored nine of the final 13 points of the first half to go into the break with a 50-44 lead. Wrightsell canned a trey and sank two free throws during the period-ending burst.
–Field Level Media
