Lexington, Ky. - The Alabama Crimson Tide had one of the worst opportunities for a rebound game possible, with Alabama trying to right the ship following a 74-64 loss to Ole Miss with a road trip to Lexington, Kentucky for a date with Big Blue - the Kentucky Wildcats.

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Turnovers were the theme of Alabama's loss against Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide turned the ball over 21 times, topping the previous season-high of 20 against Rutgers.

Alabama was able to reduce its turnovers against Kentucky, from 21 against Ole Miss to 10 against Kentucky.

Alabama's stars were needed if Alabama had hopes of defeating Kentucky at home, a venue where Nate Oats has a 1-3 record all-time as the Alabama head coach. The stars made plays, with Grant Nelson scoring 19 points in the first half for Alabama, and Mark Sears shooting much better from three than in previous games.

The scoring was fast and furious for the Crimson Tide and the Wildcats. Both of these teams wanted to push the ball down the court and play with an increased tempo, and it was evident, with Alabama and Kentucky being deadlocked in a 76-72 battle with just under eight minutes left in the second half.

Alabama needed to see big contributions from its stars. Who would step up for the Crimson Tide when Alabama needed it to secure a big win on the road?

It was a combined effort, but Alabama won this game down the stretch by excelling in the blue-collar aspect, led by Mouhamed Dioubate. Dioubate kept back-to-back plays alive for Alabama, allowing Labaron Philon to find Chris Youngblood for a three. On the next possession, Dioubate did it again, threading the pass to Labaron Philon at the top of the three-point arc for a wide-open three that swished to the bottom of the basket, pushing Alabama's lead to nine with 2:47 left in the contest.

Alabama earns a big rebound win following the loss to Ole Miss with a 102-97 victory over Kentucky.

The Crimson Tide was able to outplay Kentucky in several key areas. Alabama outrebounded Kentucky (42-38), tied in assists (20-20), a better free throw percentage (85% to 80%), and more points off turnovers (12-11).

Alabama Stat Leaders

Points: Grant Nelson - 25
Rebounds: Grant Nelson - 11
Assists: Mark Sears - 9

Alabama Players in Double Digit Points

Grant Nelson: 25
Mark Sears: 24
Clifford Omoruyi: 12
Labaron Philon: 15
Chris Youngblood: 10

The Crimson Tide's next game will come on Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m. when Alabama hosts Vanderbilt inside Coleman Coliseum.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.

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