After a disappointing loss to Kentucky last Saturday in which Alabama scored a meager 55 points and shot ten percent from behind the three-point line, head coach Nate Oats simply said, "We're there. We've got to make some shots. That's the bottom line. We've got to make some shots."
On Wednesday night in Oxford, Miss., the Alabama basketball team more than answered their head coach's plea.
In a 97-83 rout over the Ole Miss Rebels, Alabama shot a sizzling 60 percent from the field and an even better 63.6 percent from behind the arc making 14 three-pointers on just 22 attempts.
Ole Miss jumped out to an early 18-9 lead and seemed to have the momentum early, but then the Alabama offense came to life and a barrage of threes followed. By the end of the half, the Crimson Tide had taken a commanding 49-38 lead and never looked back.
Unlike the Kentucky game, Alabama played at a fast pace on offense and was able to move the ball around to open shooters which generated good looks. The main catalyst for the Crimson Tide's offensive outburst: Jaden Shackelford.
Shackelford had a career-high 30 points and tied another career-high with eight threes made. His shooting sparked the Crimson Tide's run in the first half as he had 15 points in the last eight minutes.
Coming into the game, Shackelford was Alabama's leading scorer averaging a little over 17 PPG and he proved why that is once again on Wednesday night. Whether he was open or heavily guarded, Shackelford seemed to make everything he looked at giving Alabama some much needed offensive momentum.
However, Shackelford wasn't the only one who shot the ball well in the game as JD Davison had 18 points going seven of eight from the field and Keon Ellis had 13 points making five of six shot attempts.
After playing three consecutive games against teams all ranked in the top five in the country, the victory against Ole Miss was much needed and Alabama will look to carry that momentum forward as they try and make a push toward the NCAA Tournament.
Alabama's next opponent is the Arkansas Razorbacks who defeated No. 1 Auburn in their last game. The game will be at 11 A.M. CT Saturday morning in Coleman Coliseum and will be televised on SEC Network.
Check out the video at the top of the page where BamaCentral's Clay Miller and Tony Tsoukalas recap Alabama's win over the Ole Miss Rebels.
The Extra Point: Jaden Shackelford's Hot Shooting Leads Alabama Past Ole Miss
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