Alabama delivered the jolt the SEC badly needed Wednesday night, grinding out a 90-86 win over No. 8 Illinois in a charged atmosphere at the United Center.
Amidst a season marked by significant conference defeats, the eleventh-ranked Crimson Tide offered a unique highlight.
Freshman Andrej Stojaković almost ruined it. The Illinois guard put up 26 points and consistently pulled the Illini back into the game, narrowing the gap to 67-64 with five minutes remaining. His ability to make shots out of ball screens kept Alabama on edge for a significant portion of the second half.
However, the game's outcome was ultimately determined by a hustle play. Houston Mallette posted unremarkable statistics, scoring 10 points, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out three assists. Nevertheless, his steal and subsequent fast-break layup with five minutes left in the game proved to be the deciding factor.
After securing consecutive offensive boards, Illinois seemed poised to regroup via Stojaković, but Mallette intercepted the pass and scored, extending the Tide's advantage to 72-64 and draining the arena's enthusiasm.
Lebaron Philon contributed 24 points and five assists for Alabama, who countered Illinois' late surges with crucial shooting and strong rebounding. The Tide secured enough contested loose balls to prevent the Illini from completely closing the deficit.
The win came at a crucial time for the SEC, which has struggled with inconsistent early-season outcomes. As several dominant teams have stumbled in significant matchups, Alabama has now secured two victories on neutral ground against top-10 rivals within a two-week span. No other team is even in contention.
Kentucky is nursing its defeat after a 17-point loss to Michigan State. Arkansas is managing to avoid serious concern. Texas A&M is dropping games it should be winning. Across the league, the overall sentiment is rather unpredictable.
But Alabama? They’re stacking wins where most SEC teams are lacking.
In its quest for conference supremacy, the Tide presented a performance that neared dominance, providing a much-needed boost of assurance at this time.
More college basketball news:
Duke Basketball one-and-done makes NBA history, earns Player of the Week honors
Bruce Pearl becomes Auburn super fan during son's loss to No. 1 Houston