The SEC basketball slate on February 22nd, 2025, delivered a marquee matchup as No. 17 Kentucky (18-8, 7-6 SEC) took on No. 4 Alabama (21-5, 10-3 SEC) at Coleman Coliseum. With less than three weeks left in the regular season, every game’s a playoff preview, and this one promised fireworks. Kentucky held tough early, but a brutal collapse in the last 10 minutes of the first half saw Alabama seize a 47-40 lead at the break.
First Half Overview: A Tale of Two Halves
Kentucky started with swagger, building a 12-point lead by the 9:37 mark behind crisp shooting and scrappy defense. The Wildcats shot 45.5% from the field overall (15-of-33), including 40.0% from three (6-of-15), and racked up 7 steals to Alabama’s 2, but struggled as the half wore on.
Otega Oweh’s early jumper and Koby Brea’s 3-of-5 three-point barrage fueled a 30-18 edge. Alabama, meanwhile, leaned on 48.6% field goal shooting (17-of-35) and a dominant 23-17 rebounding edge, with Clifford Omoruyi (8 points, 8 rebounds) anchoring the paint.
But the final 10 minutes flipped the script. Alabama outscored Kentucky 29-10, erasing a 12-point deficit to lead by 7 at halftime.
How it happened
Rebounding Crumbles: Alabama grabbed 7 offensive rebounds to Kentucky’s 2 in the final stretch, with Clifford Omoruyi’s tip-in at 5:54 and Mouhamed Dioubate’s dunk at 7:18 punishing second chances. The Tide outrebounded Kentucky 13-5 in this span.
Free-Throw Woes: Kentucky shot a dismal 4-of-9 (44.4%) from the line all half, but went 2-of-5 in the last 10—Amari Williams missed both at 0:40, stalling a comeback. Alabama? 8-of-9 (88.9%), with Mark Sears perfect at 4-of-4.
Defense Fades: Alabama’s fast breaks exploded for 11 of their 13 first-half points late, fueled by Aden Holloway’s three triples (4-of-8 from deep, 12 points). Kentucky’s lone block (Williams) couldn’t stop the Tide’s 12-4 paint edge in those minutes.
Second Half Overview
The second half opened with Kentucky trailing 47-40, and despite flashes of fight, the Wildcats couldn’t claw back. Alabama stretched their lead to 15 (largest of the game), finishing at 94-79 with a relentless blend of paint dominance and late-game shooting. Kentucky ended at 42.4% from the field (28-of-66) and 34.6% from three (9-of-26), while Alabama shot 51.7% (31-of-60) and 35.5% from three (11-of-31). The Tide’s 84.0% free-throw mark (21-of-25) dwarfed Kentucky’s 70.0% (14-of-20), and their 38-35 rebounding edge—despite fewer offensive boards (8 vs. 12)—sealed the deal.
Kentucky’s second-half unraveling kicked into high gear in the final 10 minutes, where Alabama outscored them 31-19 to close it out. At 10:00, Amari Williams’ tip-in cut it to 66-62, but Alabama answered with Grant Nelson’s layup at 9:52 and Labaron Philon’s dunk at 9:29, pushing it to 70-62. Kentucky’s turnovers—four in that span, including Williams’ miscue at 6:11—fed Alabama’s 24 points off turnovers (vs. Kentucky’s 9). Mark Sears (30 points, 11-of-11 free throws) and Chris Youngblood (14 points, 3-of-5 threes) torched Kentucky late, with Sears’ three at 2:05 and Youngblood’s dagger at 1:38 locking in a 94-79 lead. Alabama’s fast-break edge (21-6) and paint points (36-32) overwhelmed a Wildcats defense that mustered just 2 blocks to Alabama’s 4.
Kentucky’s starters fought—Williams finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, Carr added 17 with 3-of-5 threes, and Brea led with 20 points—but their bench managed only 16 points to Alabama’s 29. Oweh’s 1-of-9 shooting and 5 fouls typified the Wildcats’ woes, while Alabama’s depth shone: Holloway (19 points, 5-of-12 threes) and Dioubate (4 points, 5 rebounds) punished Kentucky’s rotations. By 1:31, trailing 94-79, Kentucky called timeout—a last gasp in a game that slipped away. Where the tide ran away 96-83.
Key Breakdown: Where Kentucky Lost It
The last 10 minutes of both halves doomed Kentucky. In the first, a 29-10 Alabama run flipped a 12-point lead; in the second, a 31-19 finish buried any comeback hopes. Turnovers (13 total, 7 late), rebounding lapses (outrebounded 17-11 in final stretches), and free-throw struggles (6-of-10 missed) let Alabama dictate pace. Sears’ 11 free throws and Holloway’s five threes exploited Kentucky’s fouling (22 vs. 19) and defensive breakdowns, while the Wildcats’ offense stalled—Brea’s 2-of-6 late and Oweh’s 0-for-4 in crunch time sealed their fate.