Grant Nelson scored a season-best 25 points and collected 11 rebounds to help No. 4 Alabama notch a 102-97 victory over No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in a high-octane Southeastern Conference contest at Lexington, Ky.
Mark Sears added 24 points and nine assists as the Crimson Tide (15-3, 4-1 SEC) won for the ninth time in the past 10 games.
Labaron Philon scored 15 points, Clifford Omoruyi had 12 points and seven rebounds and Chris Youngblood added 10 points for Alabama. It marks the Crimson Tide’s 12th all-time victory in 72 visits to Lexington.
Otega Oweh scored 21 points before fouling out for Kentucky (14-4, 3-2), which lost to a team ranked among the Top 15 for the first time in six attempts this season.
Lamont Butler recorded 17 points and eight assists and Amari Williams contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out for the Wildcats.
Brandon Garrison and Jaxson Robinson scored 11 points apiece while Ansley Almonor and Koby Brea each had 10 for Kentucky.
The matchup lived up to its offensive billing. Alabama entered the game as the nation’s top scoring team at 89.5 points with Kentucky second at 88.7.
Alabama made 44.8 percent of its shots and made 13 of 34 from behind the arc.
Kentucky shot 47.9 percent, including 11 of 27 from 3-point range.
The score was knotted at 81 before the Crimson Tide rattled off nine consecutive points. Youngblood and Philon made back-to-back 3-pointers to give Alabama a 90-81 lead with 2:55 left.
Butler converted a three-point play for Kentucky 26 seconds later, but Sears was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer with 2:03 left and made all three to restore the nine-point lead.
Kentucky made a push and pulled within 99-95 on Almonor’s 3-pointer with 26.9 seconds left. However, Sears made three of four free throws down the stretch to sew up Alabama’s victory.
Nelson scored 19 first-half points as Alabama took a 47-45 lead into the break.
The Crimson Tide started fast and led 18-9 after Aden Holloway’s 3-pointer with 15:12 left in the first half.
The Wildcats answered with a 25-10 run. Oweh capped it with consecutive baskets to give Kentucky a 34-28 lead with 7:24 remaining.
Alabama scored 19 of the next 26 points and opened up a 47-41 advantage on Philon’s 3-pointer.
