TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Returning to Southeastern Conference play was the only thing Alabama needed to get back to winning.
Jaden Shackelford scored 19 points and No. 10 Alabama beat LSU 78-60 on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten in league play. The Crimson Tide (15-4, 10-0 SEC) were coming off a loss at then-No. 24 Oklahoma, their first defeat in more than a month.
Alabama held a six-point lead at halftime and opened the second half on an 11-2 run, and the Tigers could not catch up.
“We went 1-for-17 for a stretch there in the second half, which, we’re just not capable of overcoming that, especially on the road against a very good team,” LSU coach Will Wade said.
After setting a league record with 23 made 3-pointers in their previous matchup on Jan. 19, Alabama showed it has multiple ways to win, this time by holding LSU (11-5, 6-4) to its lowest scoring output of the season.
“We gotta find ways to win when we’re not hitting 23 3s,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said. “I told our guys we might not do that. LSU came out and guarded us a lot better than they did the first time.”
Cameron Thomas scored 22 points for LSU, which shot 16 more free throws than the home team but struggled from the floor, shooting 31%. The Tigers came in averaging 82.9 points per game and their previous season low in scoring was 69 in a loss to Kentucky.
Five players scored in double figures for Alabama, including Juwan Gary with a season-high 12 points.
“We’ve got guys that stay ready when their number’s called, and the way they played is a testament to how hard they’re working,” Shackelford said.
BIG PICTURE
LSU: The Tigers held Alabama well below its 3-point scoring average of 10.8 made per game. Alabama finished 6 of 24 from beyond the arc. But LSU still couldn’t keep up with the Crimson Tide’s balanced offense.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide dominated LSU 51-35 on the boards.
UP NEXT
LSU hosts No. 22 Florida on Saturday.
Alabama visits No. 18 Missouri, its closest pursuer in the SEC with a 5-3 league record, on Saturday.
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