The Alabama Crimson Tide weren’t looking past the Texas Longhorns Tuesday night.
Far from it. Jarin Stevenson scored a career-high 22 points as the No. 1 Crimson Tide beat Texas, 103-80, at Moody Center in Austin for their seventh straight victory.
Now Alabama can turn its full attention to this weekend’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup with the Auburn Tigers. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Alabama (21-3 overall, 10-1 SEC) is No. 1 in the Coaches Poll. Auburn (22-2, 10-1) is ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and defeated Vanderbilt 80-68 in Nashville on Tuesday.
Despite some turnover issues, Alabama came out hot in the first half. The Crimson Tide made 65 percent of their shots (17-of-26) from the field, including seven of 12 from three-point range in the opening stanza while holding Texas to 28 percent (10-of-35). Alabama closed the final three-plus minutes of the half with a 14-3 run for a 49-31 lead at halftime.
The Tide answered the question of whether they could finish strong in the second half. One game after letting an 18-point lead on the road at Arkansas dwindle to two in the final minute, Alabama never let up on Texas (15-10, 4-8).
The Tide outworked the Longhorns all night, including on the glass where they finished with a 41-25 advantage in rebounds. Alabama finished the night shooting almost 62 percent (34-of-55) and made 17 3-pointers — the most in SEC play this season — when Mouhamed Dioubate sank a tray from the top of the key with 1:30 to play, giving the Tide a 99-74 lead. The 25-point lead was Alabama’s biggest of the night.
Alabama crossed the 100-point margin for the seventh time this season. Mark Sears and Aden Holloway had 18 points apiece and Labaron Philon had 15 for Alabama, who had five players finish in double figures.
“This was a game, I wish we could shoot it like this all the time,” coach Nate Oats said afterwards. “We shot 62 percent from the field. So, we spend a lot of time in the gym, but sometimes you get some open looks, you knock them down, and it helps the game go the way you want.
Here’s everything Oats said after Alabama’s 23-point road victory in Austin and with Auburn up next.
This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Nate Oats talks Alabama basketball win over Texas, Auburn showdown
