Instant Reactions: Alabama loses to Missouri on the road after falling behind early

Following a defeat on Saturday afternoon, the Alabama Crimson Tide made their official return to action on Wednesday night as they travelled to Columbia to play the Missouri Tigers, who are rated in the Top 25 SEC basketball rankings.

Although the Crimson Tide shot the ball better than they have at times this season, Alabama battled greatly on the defensive end of the court, getting off to yet another poor start. For these and other reasons, the first half of this SEC matchup was undoubtedly memorable.

In a game when they shot a combined 60.3% from the floor and 31-of-47 from the free throw line, Missouri ultimately prevailed 110-98, extending some of those same themes into the second half. It was probably their best performance of the year overall.

These are some immediate responses to Wednesday night’s Alabama vs. Missouri setback.

Alabama’s strong first-half offence and defensive shortcomings
After falling behind 59-46 at the half, Alabama’s offensive triumphs and defensive setbacks were among the most talked-about topics of the first half. Alabama struggled defensively as Missouri shot 61.1% from the field and 42.9% from three. They also committed 10 turnovers in the first half alone. On offence, Alabama hit a combined 60.7% from the field and 50% from three.

Alabama is led by Mark Sears.
Star guard Mark Sears, who finished with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field, was probably Alabama’s most influential player on Wednesday night. In addition, Sears had five assists and went 5-of-11 from three-point range.

Alabama loses early and never regains the lead.
Like the defeat on Saturday, Alabama never took the lead in this game and again fell down by a sizable margin early on and was never able to catch up. Starting this Saturday will be crucial for Alabama going forward, as the path will only get harder from here.

Alabama’s current record is 10-3 in the SEC and 21-5 overall.
Following this outcome, Alabama’s season record is currently 21-5 overall and 10-3 in the SEC. With two games separating them from first place in the SEC rankings, Alabama is currently tied for second place. They will take on the Kentucky Wildcats at home on Saturday.

Roll Tide Wire first published this article: Alabama basketball players’ first responses to the Missouri Tigers’ defeat.