Alabama Men's Basketball Hosts Mississippi State on Saturday Afternoon

Feb. 19, 2016

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama, winners of five straight and six of its last seven games, returns to the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum when it takes on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT. It will mark the second meeting this season between the two teams as the Tide took an 82-80 victory in overtime back on Feb. 2 in Starkville, Miss.

Saturday's game is officially sold out, which marks the fifth sellout of the season (including the Auburn game on Feb. 27). It's the first time since 2006-07 that the Tide has sold out five or more games in a single year (six that year).

Alabama comes into the contest having won five consecutive games in SEC play for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The last time a Crimson Tide team won six straight in conference play came during the 2004-05 campaign.

The Tide boasts an RPI of No. 29 and a strength of schedule of No. 12 in the nation, according to ESPN.com (through games of Feb. 18). The Tide's RPI ranks third-best in the SEC, while its SOS is second-best in the league. Alabama owns a record of 5-5 vs. the RPI top 50.

Mississippi State and Alabama will meet for the 194th time in series history on Saturday. The Crimson Tide owns an all-time record of 120-73, including a mark of 75-16 in games played in Tuscaloosa and a 38-8 mark inside Coleman Coliseum. The 193 games played and the 120 wins against Mississippi State marks the most for Alabama against any single opponent in each category in program history.

Saturday's game will air on SEC Network as Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and John Pelphrey (analyst) will be on the call. The contest will also be available via the Crimson Tide Sports Network, with Chris Stewart and Bryan Passink calling all the action. Fans will be able to follow along on gametracker (accessed through RollTide.com), and game updates will be available on Twitter via @AlabamaMBB.

OPENING TIP

Through 12 home games during head coach Avery Johnson's first year, Alabama is averaging 12,863 fans per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC. That number would rank as the highest single-season per game attendance average in program history.

The Tide currently ranks first in the SEC wins vs. top-25 ranked teams (4), tied for first the SEC in RPI top-25 wins (2) and top-50 wins (5), second in the league in strength of schedule (12) and third in RPI (29).

Alabama current five-game winning streak in the SEC is its longest since the 2010-11 campaign. The last time a Crimson Tide team captured six consecutive league wins came during the 2004-05 season. Furthermore, Alabama's three consecutive road victories marks the first time it has achieved that feat since doing so during the 2004-05 season.

Alabama has played the second-toughest schedule in the SEC through 13 games of the league slate in terms of opponents winning percentage. The Tide's competition owns a combined winning percentage of .608 (203-131) coming into Saturday's contest vs. Mississippi State. That number only trails LSU, which leads the league with an opponents' winning percentage of .639 (205-116).

Alabama has played six ranked opponents this season and has won four of those games, which leads the SEC. It's the first time since the 2001-02 season that an Alabama team has four victories over AP top-25 teams during the regular season. In addition, Alabama has faced an additional four opponents who were receiving votes to be ranked at the time they played (Dayton, Oregon, at South Carolina and at LSU), making 10 of its 25 opponents this year ranked or receiving votes in the AP top-25 poll at the time the game was played.

Obasohan has been making his case for first team all-conference honors by his play during SEC play. The Antwerp, Belgium native is averaging 19.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc through 13 league games, Obasohan enters the Mississippi State contest ranking fourth in scoring average, fifth in field goal percentage and tied for eighth in steals per game.

Making his first start of the season on Jan. 13 vs. South Carolina, sophomore forward Riley Norris went off for a career-high 27 points and tied a school record with eight made three-pointers en route to a win over No. 19 South Carolina, 73-50. During SEC play, Norris leads the team in rebounds per game (6.5) and three-point field goal percentage (.415) while ranking second in scoring average 10.4 points per game. He enters the Mississippi State game ranking sixth in the SEC in conference games only in three-point field goal percentage and is 15th in rebounds per game.

Over his last five games, Justin Coleman has been on fire. Over the stretch, the Birmingham, Ala., native is averaging 12.4 points and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 45.8 percent from beyond the arc (11-of-24) and 90.5 percent from the charity stripe (19-of-21). He enters Saturday's game leading the SEC and ranks fourth in the nation in free throw percentage (.913), having missed just six free throws the entire season

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Alabama (16-9, 7-6 SEC), winners of five straight and six of its last seven games, begins a stretch of playing three of its next four games at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday afternoon when it hosts the Mississippi State Bulldogs. It marks the second meeting in an 18-day span between the Tide and Bulldogs. Alabama captured a narrow 82-80 decision in overtime back on Feb. 2 in Starkville, Miss., marking the Tide's sixth consecutive win in the series.
Senior guard Retin Obasohan, coming off a career-best 35-point performance in the win at LSU last Wednesday, leads Alabama in scoring (16.7 ppg), steals (1.5) and minutes (32.4 mpg) through the Tide's 25 contests. The Antwerp, Belgium, native currently ranks sixth in the SEC in scoring average and field goal percentage (.468), tied for ninth in steals per game and is seventh in minutes per game entering Saturday's contest.
Junior forward Shannon Hale and graduate transfer Arthur Edwards rank second and third on this year's team in scoring average at 10.7 ppg and 9.7 ppg, respectively. Hale, who has missed five games on the season including the first game between the Tide and Bulldogs, enters Saturday's contest averaging 11.4 points and 3.3 rebounds a game in the last eight games he has suited up. Meanwhile, Edwards ranks second on the team and fifth in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage at 40.0 percent (54-of-135) for the year. He ranks second on the team in double-figure scoring games with 14, while Hale is third with 12.
Sophomore Riley Norris has stepped up his play during the SEC season. The Albertville, Ala., native pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in the win at LSU last Wednesday and leads the team in league play in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and three-point field goal percentage (.415), while ranking second in scoring (10.4 ppg). In addition, he ranks sixth in SEC games only in three-point field goal percentage and 15th in rebounds per game.
As a team, Alabama is outscoring the competition for the season by 0.5 points per game (67.8-67.1). The Tide comes into Saturday's contest ranked among the top defensive teams in the SEC. Entering the game, Alabama ranks third in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (.319), is fifth in blocked shots per game (5.1) and scoring defense (67.1) and is sixth in field goal percentage defense (.398). Offensively, the Tide is fourth in three-pointers made per game (7.8).

ALABAMA-MISSISSIPPI STATE - SERIES NOTES

Alabama and Mississippi State will meet for the 194th time in series history on Saturday - the most times UA has played any one opponent in program history.
This marks the second meeting this season between the two rivals. Alabama took an 82-80 overtime victory in Starkville, Miss., just 18 days ago (Feb. 2).
The Tide owns a 120-73 edge in the all-time series, including wins in six straight and seven of the last nine contests played between the two teams. It's the first time the Tide has won six straight over the Bulldogs since doing so from 1985-87. The last time an Alabama team won seven straight games over Mississippi State came when the Tide captured 11 consecutive wins in the series from 1973-78.
Alabama owns a record of 75-16 in all-time games against the Bulldogs at home, including a 38-8 mark at Coleman Coliseum.
The 98-year-old series has seen 14 overtime contests including the 2008-09 season's double-overtime affair.
Sixty-four of the meetings have been decided by five or fewer points.

ALABAMA WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT, TAKES 76-69 VICTORY AT LSU

Senior guard Retin Obasohan scored a career-high 35 points, including 23 in the second half, to lead the Alabama men's basketball to an impressive 76-69 victory over league-leaders LSU on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Obasohan, who also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career, became the first Crimson Tide player to score 35 points in a game since Trevor Releford went for 35 in triple overtime at LSU on Feb. 23, 2013.
The win gave Alabama its fifth consecutive victory in SEC play and marked the sixth win over its last seven league contests. The Tide improves to 16-9 overall and 7-6 in the conference.
Obasohan was not the only Alabama player to shine, as sophomore Justin Coleman scored 21 points on the strength of a career-best five three pointers, while senior Arthur Edwards scored 12 points. Combined, the trio accounted for 68 of the Tide's 76 points on the night.
Alabama used two second half runs to take control of the game. Down 46-38 with 15:49 to play, the Tide used a 10-1 run to take its first lead in the second half. Obasohan scored his 1,000th career point on an 18-foot jumper with 5:54 left to tie the game at 53-53. Later in the half, a 7-0 run at the 3:26 mark gave Alabama control of the game with a 69-62 lead.
Alabama held LSU (16-10, 9-4 SEC) to just 39 percent shooting and 25 percent from three-point range. In the second half, the Tide defense held LSU to less than one point per possession (.971). Alabama outrebounded LSU 39-34 to improve to 10-1 when winning the rebounding battle. Additionally, the Tide moves to 12-1 when holding its opponent to less than 70 points.
LSU built a first half lead on the back of a 13-3 run over four-plus minutes and took a 36-31 lead to the locker room at halftime. The Tigers held Alabama to 28 percent from deep in the opening frame, but the Tide bounced back, shooting 40 percent from three-point range in the second half.
Obasohan finished 11-of-18 from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 at the foul throw line. Sophomore Riley Norris also played impressively, as he recorded a career-high 16 rebounds.
COACH Avery Johnson'S THOUGHTS: "Coming into this season, we didn't know what we were dealing with. I'm happy for our team and happy for this young man Retin Obasohan. He looked like one of the best players in the country and he's definitely one of the most-improved players in college basketball."

ALABAMA--LSU: AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

What Won The Game For UA: Rebounding. Alabama owned a 39-34 advantage on the glass and improved to 10-1 on the year when outrebounding the competition this season. Sophomore forward Riley Norris pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds, including five offensive boards, to lead the charge.
The Difference Maker: Retin Obasohan. Obasohan had a career night, scoring 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the floor and a perfect 11-of-11 from the foul line. The senior guard scored 23 of his 35 points in the second half en route to the SEC's fourth-highest scoring game total this year. Moreover, he became the first Alabama player to score 35 or more points since Trevor Releford went for 36 in a triple overtime loss at LSU on Feb. 23, 2013.
The Wow Stat: Obasohan (35 points), Justin Coleman (21 points) and Arthur Edwards (12 points) combined to score 68 of Alabama's 76 points on the night. The trio were a combined 21-of-37 (.568) from the field and 11-of-24 (.458) from beyond the arc. The rest of the team combined for 8 points on 4-of-18 (.222) shooting from the floor and 0-of-9 from deep.

SEC TURNAROUND

Alabama started league play winning just once in its first six SEC contests. However, the Tide has turned things around by winning five straight league games and six of its last seven entering Saturday's contest vs. Mississippi State.
It is the Tide's first five-game winning streak in the league since the 2010-11 season and has now captured three-consecutive SEC road wins for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign.
The difference has been made on the defensive end of the floor. Over the last seven games, the Tide has been holding the opposition to nearly points per game less a game, while the opponents' field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage have also dropped drastically.
Below is a breakdown of Alabama's first six SEC contests compared to its last seven games.

Record PPG OPP PPG Margin OPP FG% OPP 3FG%

First Six Games 1-5 68.3 71.2 -2.9 .437 .337

Last Six Games 6-1 69.9 67.4 +2.4 .383 .250

TOPPLING THE TOP 25

With the 63-62 win over No. 15/13 Texas A&M on Feb. 10, Alabama picked up with SEC-leading fourth win over top-25 opponents this season. It marked the first time since the 2001-02 season that the Tide has secured four top-25 wins during the regular season.
It is the highest ranked team the Tide has toppled since defeating then-No. 12 Kentucky, 68-66, back on Jan. 18, 2011.
Other ranked teams Alabama has defeated include then-No. 21 Wichita State (64-60) on Nov. 27 followed by a 74-73 victory over then-No. 17 Notre Dame on Nov. 29. The Tide also defeated then-No. 19 South Carolina, 73-50, on Jan. 13.
Alabama's first two victories over ranked teams against Wichita State and Notre Dame came in back-to-back contests. It marked the first time Alabama had won consecutive games against ranked opponents since they defeated then-No. 12 Florida on Feb. 26, 2006, after downing then-No.8 Tennessee on Feb. 18.
The victory over Wichita State snapped a 21-game losing streak to ranked opponents dating back to Jan. 18, 2011, when Alabama beat then-No. 12 Kentucky at home (68-66). It also marked the first win over a ranked opponent at a neutral site since Nov. 29, 2009, when the Tide beat then-No. 15 Michigan.
In all, Alabama has played 10 games in which its opponent has either been ranked or receiving votes to be ranked in its 25 games this season. The Tide enters Saturday's game vs. Mississippi State with the nation's No. 12-rated strength of schedule according to ESPN.com (as of Feb. 19).

University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama Men's Basketball Hosts Mississippi State on Saturday Afternoon

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Justin Coleman

Shannon Hale

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