Alabama Basketball gets the big win they so desperately needed

Coleman Coliseum pregame before Alabama vs Mississippi State. (Photo by Brett L. Greenberg)

By Brett Greenberg

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama men’s basketball team pulled out a win over conference foe, Mississippi State, 83-79 on Tuesday Jan. 29, 2019.

After losing four of the last six games and having their March Madness tournament hanging in the balance, head coach, Avery Johnson, knew his team needed to get a win back at home against, at the time, a ranked SEC opponent.

From the opening tip-off to the end of the first half, Alabama had complete control maintaining a steady lead throughout the first 20 minutes and getting the lead to 11 points by halftime. Senior big man, Donta Hall, came to play with 12 points and three rebounds. Mississippi St. had no answer for the Hall and Alabama guards fed the big man all of the first half. “The first half was electric between the crowd, the dunks and the team performing well on both sides of the court,” Ethan Grossman, a freshman, said.

The second half was a little bit of a different story as the team began to play lackadaisical defense and allow the point guard for Mississippi St. to get to the rim and score easily. “We were playing so well in the first half that the way we were playing in the second half came as a shock to not only me, but I think the majority of the fans and student section,” Noah Estroff, a freshman, said. The Crimson Tide pulled out the win in the late minutes hitting clutch free throws and getting a huge win on their home floor 83-79.

With this win, Coach Avery Johnson, the rest of the team and the fans can take a deep breath because this team is a step closer to a March Madness berth. “I have been going to games all four years of being a student and this game felt different,” Michael Kratz, a senior, said. “The overall atmosphere was different from pregame warmups until the final whistle was called,” Kratz said.

The win over a ranked SEC opponent is just what the Alabama team and fanbase needs as the season nears its end. More wins and more atmospheres in Coleman Coliseum like this will make the basketball program more respected on a national level.

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