TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men’s basketball team (6-2) defeated the Arkansas State Red Wolves, 89-65, Monday night inside Coleman Coliseum.

 

The Crimson Tide led the entire game, leading by as many as 31 points (71-40) before settling for a 24-point win.

 

Mohamed Wague finished the contest with a season-high 12 points and seven rebounds, while Davin Cosby Jr. also recorded season highs with nine points and five rebounds.

 

The Red Wolves (2-7), who were coached by former Alabama assistant coach Bryan Hodgson, were led by Izaiyah Nelson with 10 points and seven rebounds.

 

Head Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments

“We have been emphasizing defense and I thought it was decent in first half (but) still wasn't where we needed it to be and got worse in the second half. We're making improvements on that side of the ball. It's good to have (head coach Bryan Hodgson) back from Arkansas State. I mean, he has an entire new coaching staff. They don't have their full roster and I know how it is coming into a program the first year trying to install a system that they're not used to playing. He's in year one trying to establish, and I think he's doing a good job. For us, we needed to get this one and we need to play better on defense, and we did that. They exposed a few things that we need to work on. Our defensive rebounding needs major work before we play a tough three-game stretch that’s in front of us. So, we're going to continue to work on our defense and try to get better.”

 

TEAM STATS

• With his team-high 13 points on the night, Mark Sears has surpassed 1,500 career points
• Aaron Estrada (11 points) also surpassed a milestone as he now has accumulated 1,600 career points
• Alabama shot 44 percent (28-64) from the floor, 42 percent (13-31) from deep and 83 percent (20-24) from the line
• In comparison, the Red Wolves shot 34 percent (22-65) from the field, 20 percent (6-30) from beyond-the-arc and 71 percent (15-21) from the charity stripe
• The Tide led in virtually all categories including a 33-6 advantage in bench production, an 18-8 advantage in second-chance points and a 27-13 advantage in points off turnovers
• UA had five players finish in double figures

 

FIRST HALF

• After a pair of double-digit runs lasting over a combined six minutes, Alabama went on a 30-14 run, taking a 21-point lead (49-28) into the locker rooms
• The Tide sparked it from deep in the first half, going into the break 9-18 (50 percent) from beyond the arc
• Grant Nelson (10 points) and Mark Sears (10) led UA in scoring at the half with Sears also leading the Tide in assist (5)
• The Tide owned a 23-7 advantage on points off turnovers

 

SECOND HALF

• Alabama held Arkansas State to just 13.3 percent from beyond-the-arc over the final 20 minutes, the lowest percentage an opponent has shot from three in a half this season
• Mohamed Wague scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half while also collecting five of his seven rebounds in the same half
• UA’s bench outscored their counterpart 17-2 in the second stanza

 

UP NEXT

• Alabama heads across the border, taking on No. 4 ranked Purdue Saturday in the Hall of Fame Toronto Series inside the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario
• The game is slated to tipoff at 12:30 p.m. CT and will air live on Fox

 

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