Alabama 95-90 Rutgers (Nov 27, 2024) Game Summary

LAS VEGAS — — Mark Sears scored 24 points and No. 9 Alabama defeated Rutgers 95-90 Wednesday night in the Players Era Festival at the MGM Grand Garden.

Rutgers pulled within two with 1:28 left, but five free throws down the stretch sealed the victory for the Crimson Tide (6-1).

Grant Nelson had 17 points and nine rebounds for Alabama, while Mouhamed Dioubate, Jarin Stevenson and Derrion Reid each scored 10 points.

Dylan Harper led Rutgers (5-2) with a career-high 37 points. Ace Bailey finished with 22 points and Jeremiah Williams chipped in with 10 points for the Scarlet Knights.

Takeaways

Rutgers: Harper, son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., continued an impressive start to his collegiate career with his seventh straight double-figure performance. The freshman point guard from New Jersey is averaging 24.5 points per game so far.

Alabama: After squandering a six-point lead midway through the first half and falling behind by five, the Crimson Tide got a boost from their bench as their reserves outscored Rutgers 15-5 in the first half. Alabama’s bench finished with a 38-6 edge.

Key moment

Moments after Rutgers’ Jordan Derkack’s failed dunk attempt, Sears opted not to drive the lane during the ensuing fast break and instead drained a 3-pointer to give Alabama a 56-53 lead early in the second half. The tide was leading from that point forward.

Key state

2 — Rutgers, which entered the game shooting 35.2% from 3-point range, made just two of its 13 attempts from long range, a paltry 15.3%.

Next

Both teams return to action on Saturday, the final day of the Players Era Festival. Alabama will face Oregon in the championship. Rutgers awaits the result of Wednesday’s final game between No. 6 Houston and Notre Dame to determine its next opponent.

——

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Register here. AP college basketball: poll and