The 3-Pointer: Lessons from Alabama basketball’s win over Houston

It was clear from the opening tip that no basket would come easy in the MGM Grand Arena. That mantra carried through to the end as No. 9 Alabama beat No. 6 Houston 85-80 in overtime.

The Tide’s offense was unable to get many of its significant shots on goal against Houston’s stout defense. Alabama also played excellent defense to limit Houston and prevent the Cougars from earning second chances.

The game was a physical battle for 45 minutes that resulted in a heated finish between two of college basketball’s best teams. It seemed like Alabama might pull away before Houston went on a 10-0 run late in the second half to retake the lead. This run ultimately paved the way for overtime.

Alabama was able to take the momentum right back. The Tide won overtime 7-2. Alabama’s star guard Mark Sears hit a huge 3-pointer early in the period in a performance that helped Sears recover from his offensive slump over the last few games. After scoring just eight points in the final three halves of basketball, Sears led all Alabama scorers with 24 points and added four rebounds and three assists.

Here are three takeaways from the first Tide game of the Players Era Festival.

It was a back-and-forth defensive battle within MGM Grand Arnea.

Houston seemed to have a chance to pull away from Alabama in the opening minutes. The Tide turned the ball over four times on its first five possessions. Houston’s infamously intense defense looked like it was giving Alabama fits. Labaron Philon quickly learned the physical nature of Houston, being knocked down twice in the early going and replaced by Derrion Reid.

The Cougars sent double teams every time an Alabama guard drove into the lane or a player positioned on the block. This made it difficult for the Tide to get their offense going without good ball movement down the court. Houston forward Joseph Tugler was particularly threatening in the lane, finishing with eight blocks.

Alabama found its footing in the game thanks to a strong performance from its own defense. The Tide held Houston to just 6 of 19 from 3-point range and was willing to give up a lot of mid-range shots in exchange for making things more difficult in the lane and preventing Houston guards LJ Cryer and Emmanuel Sharp from doing so were able to hit 3-point shots.

“They fired 36 shots there, more than half of their shots. We found that 55% of their shots were non-rim 2 shots and they shot 39%. I know some of them went in, everyone will refer to the ones that went in, but they missed almost two thirds of it. So that was the game plan.

As the tide became more comfortable, the turnovers began to clear up. Alabama had some issues early in the second half, but cleaned up on offense while maintaining a high level of defensive intensity. The Tide held Houston to just 1.01 points per possession and played full defensive sequences even as Houston slowed the pace.

The defensive running game continued as Alabama tried to pull away in the middle portion of the game. The Tide’s defense held Houston without a field goal for 5:29 minutes and Houston finished the game with 10 turnovers. However, the Cougars countered by holding Alabama to a 5:28 field goal drought while Cryer finally went on offense. After Alabama held the standout guard without a field goal for 11 minutes, Cryer took over late and finished with 30 points, helping send the game to overtime.

Alabama was able to flip the defensive script once again in overtime. Alabama’s depth proved too much for Houston as the Tide held the Cougars to just one basket in overtime to secure their biggest win of the season.

“I feel like that really showed when it went into overtime,” Sears said of the Tide’s performance. “We had so much depth in the game that we could push the tempo and they just couldn’t handle it because they were so exhausted. But the depth of this team makes it special.”

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Alabama coach said Nate Oats emphasized that Alabama needed to be active on the glass to prevent Houston from getting second chances and control the tempo with its slower offense.

There wasn’t much between the two teams in the first half and rebounding became a big factor in both teams winning and gaining an advantage. Houston went on a 9-0 run in the first half that included three consecutive offensive rebounds on one possession. Alabama responded with a 6-0 run, all of which came with second-chance points.

Rebounding continued to be the difference for the Crimson Tide as both teams continued to play excellent defense and did not allow any consistent points. When Houston wasn’t scoring from mid-range, it was taking advantage of its own offensive boards. Alabama did the same to counter Houston’s aggressive defense. The Crimson Tide won the offensive rebound battle 20-16 and outscored Houston on the boards overall 48-39.

If there was one player who set the tone for Alabama’s strong performance on the perimeter and on defense, it was the sophomore nicknamed “Mo-Dita.”

Alabama sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate absolutely enjoyed the physical nature of Tuesday night’s game. After playing just two minutes against Illinois, Dioubate was Alabama’s best player on the glass against one of the most elite interior teams in the country.

Dioubate finished the game with 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. He also made three standout defensive plays in one of his best performances in an Alabama uniform. Dioubate nearly pulled off a miracle and put the cherry on top of his performance when he hit the front of the hoop on a half-court buzzer-beater attempt after Alabama received a final regulation stop.

The 1.90 meter tall striker didn’t let up in extra time. He had two points, three rebounds and a block in OT and made a crucial save after Reid blocked a Houston shot in the final seconds.

“I’m just playing my game, honestly,” Dioubate said. “Even if it had been a different team, I would have brought the same intensity to the game. I know what I do well on the pitch. So the coach told me before the game: ‘This is a Mo Dioubate game.’ So I was prepared that even if we played another team I would bring the same intensity and I brought that tonight and we got the win.

Oats has emphasized that given the depth of Alabama’s rotation, he is less concerned about who starts games and more concerned with who finishes them. Dioubate brought Alabama closer against one of the best teams in the country and showed what an important role he plays as an energizer and bully in the lane for Alabama’s opponents.

After a hard-fought battle against Houston, Alabama makes a quick turnaround before its next match at the Players Ear Festival against Rutgers. The Tide and Scarlet Knights will face off in Las Vegas on Wednesday at 9 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on TBS.