Alabama stuns No. 12 Oklahoma

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama coach Avery Johnson said he’ll throw three or four different defensive looks at an opposing team during a typical game.

Oklahoma — and its freshman sensation Trae Young — got seven of them.

Not all of them worked, but most of them did. The result was one of Young’s worst offensive games of the year and an 8073 upset victory for the Crimson Tide over No. 12 Oklahoma on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Alabama’s own star freshman, Collin Sexton, scored 18 points. The 6-foot-3 guard was part of the waves of Crimson Tide defense that held Young to just 17 points on 6 of 17 shooting from the field.

It was only the second time this season Young — who came into the game leading the nation with more than 30 points per game — was held to fewer than 20 points. The SextonYoung showdown drew a packed crowd of more than 15,000 to Coleman Coliseum — not to mention more than a handful of NBA scouts. Johnson said he was pleased Sexton was able to focus, play well and not get distracted by the hype.

Another Alabama freshman, Herbert Jones, added 14 points. Donta Hall had nine points, seven rebounds

Oklahoma’s Trae Young (right) passes the ball around Alabama’s Daniel Giddens during the first half of Saturday’s game in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

and eight blocked shots. The Crimson Tide (14-7) shot 55.6 percent from the field.

Oklahoma (15-5) trailed by six at halftime but rallied to take a 60-55 lead with 11 minutes remaining. Alabama responded with the next 13 points for a 68-60 advantage it wouldn’t relinquish.

“We played a little more of a mature basketball game today,” Johnson said. “We were focused for a longer period of time.”

The Sexton-Young showdown took a little while to develop, though there were some good moments late in the first half.

Young needed more Butch Dill / AP than 11 minutes to get free for his first basket on a 10-foot floater in the lane, but Sexton responded almost immediately with a 3-pointer. A few minutes later, Sexton’s dunk in transition was followed by a Young 3-pointer 15 seconds later.

But Young couldn’t find much room to operate. He got hot briefly during the second half, knocking down two quick 3-pointers, but was fairly quiet by his lofty standards. He had eight assists and five turnovers.