Alabama Halts Skid With 111-67 Romp Over Eastern Kentucky

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels | December 23, 2023

Grant Nelson and Rylan Griffen each scored 19 points as Alabama snapped a three-game losing streak by belting visiting Eastern Kentucky 111-67 on Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Ala., behind a sterling shooting performance from behind the arc.

Alabama (7-5) is trying to work back into shape following setbacks to Purdue, Creighton, and Arizona. It was a strong effort in that regard.

The Crimson Tide put up 61 first-half points in the romp.

Davin Cosby Jr., Sam Walters, and Aaron Estrada each had 12 points and Mark Sears added 11 for Alabama, which shot 57.4 percent from the field. The Crimson Tide’s 3-point rate was impressive, making 19 of 38.

Griffen led the way by making five 3s and Cosby had four long-range baskets off the bench. Estrada finished with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Leland Walker had 20 points, Isaiah Cozart tallied 19 points to go with 12 rebounds and Michael Moreno tacked on 18 points for the Colonels (4-8), who shot 33.8 percent (24 for 71) from the field and committed 13 turnovers.

Moreno, the school’s all-time leader in 3-point baskets, went 6 for 9 from behind the arc. The problem for Eastern Kentucky was that the rest of the team was a combined 2 for 20 on 3-point attempts.

For Alabama, Nelson had been in a shooting slump but he made 7 of 9 shots from the field, including 2 for 3 on 3-pointers.

The Crimson Tide led 27-11 less than seven minutes into the game. Griffen’s 3-pointer made the score 41-18 with more than eight minutes to play in the first half. That contributed to his career-high point total.

Eastern Kentucky scored the first 13 points of the second half.

But the Colonels, who played Thursday night at Troy, didn’t have the energy or the talent to stick with the Crimson Tide, which followed the big first half by scoring 50 second-half points.

By the end, Alabama had 29 assists on 40 field goals.

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