Simply - Wow!

bama fights its way back...
lacey beats aggies on a picture perfect jump shot

An injured Releford led the comeback

Tuscaloosa, Al...  I don't know if this basketball team will make it to the post-season or not.There are just too many uncertainties left. One thing is for certain - my 66  year old heart can't take these games too often. Alabama moves to 11-6 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. In the train wreck we call our conference it seems that anything is impossible. How does a team score 15 points in one half and come back and win in the second half? The Tide "exploded" for 30 in the second half. That may not sound like much but it was double the number scored in the first half. The first half will henceforth be called the worst 20 minutes in the history of Alabama basketball in my home. But the game wasn't over. Basketball is a funny game. Things can turn around completely in just 20 minutes. I hope that the Bama players will always remember how bad they were in that first half. Likewise, I bet they will always remember making the decision to turn the game around  That was a remarkable comeback. 

Lacey smiling after game winner. 

        I honestly don't know what to say about a team that played as bad as we did in the first 20 and then finding the intensity to win the game. The scoring ended with Trevor Lacey making 17 foot ball away basket. He fought for that shot. He drives to penetrate the lane but A&M would let it happen. Instead, of making a layup or at least shooting two freebies Lacey hit a step back jumper that would be the perfect example of how to shot a jump shot. The ball caressed the net and won the game. I heard that Trevor Releford was named the Player of the Game but I wouldn't overlook Lacey. Releford played through the considerable pain of a high ankle sprain. Releford logged in 31 minutes off the bench. Lacey scored 14 and was also the Tide's leading rebounder with 6. Lacey also played perfect defense is shutting down what might have been a last TAM effort by holding is ground. The TAM player hesitated,and Releford picked his pocket from behind the trap. Bingo,  TAM gets no last shot, at least on their end of the floor. For the record, Lacey also had 5 assists and 3 steals. He played a great game.

Bama players looked pretty happy in last .04 seconds

        One thing is pretty clear. If Alabama had a good inside player they'd be a really good team. Jacobs followed up his great game at State with 8 points and 4 rebounds in 23 minutes of play. He was also 4 of 5 from the floor. He had 4 turnovers which isn't good considering how seldom he touches the ball. Gueye was a non-factor.He did have 2 blocks and 3 rebounds. That is a collective 7 rebounds out of post players, and while that number is getting better it still is pretty low.  But this was the day that belonged to Trevor Releford. His 15 points all came in the second half when Alabama mounted an improbable comeback after the worst half of basketball a team can play. Texas A&M couldn't stop him. They had no answer to his myriad of moves and drives.  Not bad at all for a kid with an ankle sprain.