Alabama weathers slow start

NO. 8 ALABAMA 89, GEORGIA 79

ATHENS, Ga. — Alabama looked ordinary when it was missing its strength as one of the nation’s best three-point shooting teams.

When the long-range shots started falling, Alabama again looked like the SEC champions.

Herbert Jones had two baskets in a 9-0 run to open the second half that gave No. 8 Alabama the lead on its way to an 89-79 victory over Georgia on Saturday.

Alabama led only 82-79 before Keon Ellis, a backup guard, sank a three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining. It was one of eight three-pointers in 10 attempts in the second half for Alabama after it made only 2 of 12 attempts in the first half.

“That [three-pointer] was huge,” Alabama Coach Nate Oats said.

Jahvon Quinerly led Alabama with 18 points. John Petty Jr. had 15 and Jaden Shackelford finished with 14.

Alabama (21-6, 16-2) overcame 22 turnovers and the slow start to match its school record for SEC wins in the 1986-87 season.

Quinerly blamed a sluggish first half on “not coming out ready to play 100%” and “some bonehead mistakes.”

“In the second half we took better care of the ball and got the ball moving around a little more and obviously the offense took care of itself,” Quinerly said.

Georgia (14-11, 7-11) led by 14 in the first half but couldn’t maintain the pace. Sahvir Wheeler led the Bulldogs with 18 points. Freshman K.D. Johnson had 16.

Georgia Coach Tom Crean said the key shot by Ellis was evidence of Alabama’s depth when he said is “the real separator” in the conference.

LSU 86, MISSOURI 80

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Trendon Watford scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half and his short jumper with just over a minute left broke a final tie as LSU battled past Missouri to end the regular season.

Cameron Thomas scored 29 points, making 10 of 12 at the line, to lead LSU (16-8, 11-6 ). Javonte Smart added 13 points and Darius Days had 12 points and nine rebounds.

Dru Smith led Mizzou with 17 points. He was just 1 of 3 shooting in the second half, but made 7 of 7 at the line.

LSU earned the No. 3 seed and a double-bye into the quarterfinal round of the SEC tournament next week in Nashville. It’s LSU’s third double-bye in as many years.

AUBURN 78, MISSISSIPPI STATE 71

AUBURN, Ala. — Allen Flanigan (Little Rock Parkview) scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and Auburn pulled away late to beat Mississippi State and give Bruce Pearl his 600th coaching victory in the Tigers’ season finale.

With no seniors and just two upperclassmen on the roster, Auburn didn’t stage a Senior Day, and the Tigers (1314, 7-11) announced in November that they were self-imposing a postseason ban as a result of a long-running NCAA investigation. But they found reason to celebrate after the win over the Bulldogs as Pearl did a little dance at center court, surrounded by his players.

Pearl is the 63rd coach in Division I history and the 21st active coach to reach 600 wins. Pearl’s record over 26 years of coaching is 600-237. This is his seventh season at Auburn.

Williams scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half. Jamal Johnson scored 14 points with seven assists and JT Thor added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Mississippi State (14-13, 8-10) finished the first half on a 10-2 run to lead 34-32 behind 13 points from Tolu Smith.

KENTUCKY 92, SOUTH CAROLINA 64

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Davion Mintz and Brandon Boston Jr. both set career bests with six three-pointers apiece and Kentucky beat South Carolina in a regular-season finale.

Mintz finished with 20 points and seven assists with five of his three-pointers coming in the opening five minutes of the second half, including three in a row to boost the Wildcats (9-15, 8-9) to a 19-point lead, 55-36. Boston scored 21 points. Olivier Sarr added 15 points and Isaiah Jackson 13 points with 10 rebounds.

Keyshawn Bryant scored 16 points and Jayyn McCreary 14 points for the Gamecocks (6-14, 4-12), who haven’t won at Rupp Arena since 2009.

MISSISSIPPI 56, VANDERBILT 46

OXFORD, Miss. — Jarkel Joiner scored 15 points on 6 of 13 shooting in leading Mississippi to a victory over Vanderbilt.

Mississippi (15-10, 10-8) held a 3422 lead at the half in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Issac McBride (Baptist Prep) hit four three-pointers and scored a team-high 16 points for Vanderbilt (8-15, 3-13).