The crowd was already stirring. The Alabama bench was standing. When a white jersey found free space behind the arc – a common occurrence on Sunday afternoons – and swept a 3-pointer, Nick Pringle couldn’t take it anymore. The Tide freshman fell to the ground and stood up dazedly like he couldn’t even believe what pace Alabama was in.
The Tide avenged last week’s loss to Texas A&M, knocking out the two-seeded Aggies 82-63. A potential storybook season, at least on the court, has added another chapter of celebration in Nashville. Alabama won its 17th overall SEC championship and eighth via tournament.
The SEC glass trophy isn’t the only one Tide is looking to capture in March. At 5 p.m., Tide will likely be announced as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and get a home crowd similar to what it had at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday. Alabama is expected to be in the South region, playing its first two games in Birmingham.
“I couldn’t be happier for them,” said head coach Nate Oats. “The bus ride back from Nashville will be a lot more fun now that we’ve won. We will stay here and watch the selection on Sunday to see what our clashes will be.
“To sweep the regular season and the tournament twice in three years, with a totally different team, (Jahvon) Quinerly is a big part of both, talks about the level of players who have been able to come in here. You cannot win these games without players. We’re lucky to have the best player on the court this year every time we go out with Brandon.
Oats said before the tournament, after a four-game struggling streak, the six-day rest before the playoffs would give Alabama a chance to reset. Fix uneven shooting performance. Clean turnovers. It worked. The Tide’s current form should make them a favourite, if not the team to beat in March Madness.
But to get there, Alabama needed to prove their team shooting and depth in three days with three games. The SEC Finals started with a 3-pointer from Mark Sears. He celebrated the reprieve from his shot drop with a spin and bend to the Tide bench. As it did against Missouri, Alabama started hot from range, hitting four of five shots from deep and seven of its first 15 shots overall.
“We set the tone,” Sears said. “We let them know we were out and ready to play and we haven’t forgotten what happened (at A&M).”
A&M made a few shots early, but ultimately Tide’s length on defense disrupted perimeter shots, defied backhands and forced sloppy passes. Noah Gurley pinned a layup attempt on the backboard and Charles Bediako met a big A&M at the rim for another block. Thanks in part to Bediako’s efforts (12 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks), Alabama lost control and A&M couldn’t string together the right possessions.
The Aggies started 5 for 25 and scored a field goal in the final 11 minutes of the first half.
“When we get saves in defense,” Bediako said, “I mean attacking is just fun. … It excites everyone. It helps us play well. It starts with defense though.
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Miller, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player, picked up two fouls in eight minutes but 3 from Sears, Rylan Griiffen and a line from Quinerly (22 points overall) completed Miller’s production as he was sitting on the bench. Dribbling drive strategy, a staple of Oats’ game plan, drew maroon jerseys, allowing the tide to find its way along the arch. By the time Miller committed his third foul at the end of the half, A&M trailed by 11 points.
The Aggies came out of the locker room looking to get into the paint. A&M’s Julius Marble converted a hook shot on his first possession, but the Tide limited second-chance points while winning the rebound battle.
A&M flashed a 3-2 zone, cutting the lead into the deficit on a Quinerly turnover and a dunk by Marble. But just as the A&M fans in attendance began to pick up, Miller deflected a pass for a steal, conceding a 3-pointer on subsequent possession. When the lead fell to eight minutes later, it was Miller who grabbed two offensive rebounds on a floor trip, eventually being fouled and converting his free throws.
Oats called on Alabama fans to make the trip from Tuscaloosa and at least by the noise levels during Tide races, his wish was granted. Fans gave Alabama several standing ovations, including after a timeout from A&M coach Buzz Williams when Alabama continued to push back the lead after another deep ball from Miller.
The match became an explosion, an opportunity for the debutants to get cheers from the crowd and for the extras to see the floor.
“To sweep the regular season and the tournament twice in three years, with a totally different team, Quinerly is a big part of both, talks about the level of players who have been able to come in here. You cannot win these games without players. We’re lucky to have the best player on the court this year every time we leave Brandon,” Oats said.
All season, the Tide has taken SEC play by storm. Sunday gave Alabama its 19th victory against an SEC opponent. The Tide’s biggest second-half deficit this week was four points.
One of the best teams in SEC history can back their case with two pieces of hardware as Alabama won the regular season and conference titles for the fifth time.
Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NALvarez@al.com.