Live with the Tide: Alabama Basketball Hosts Kansas State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge

Follow along for live updates before, during, and after throughout today's contest

TUSCALOOSA, Ala - Alabama men's basketball returns to Coleman Coliseum to face Kansas State after a one-game road trip to Nashville, Tn., defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 77-62. 

Alabama (11-7, 4-2 SEC) has won eight of its last 11 games and is averaging 83.1 points per game, which is good for third in the nation. Kansas State (8-10, 1-5 Big 12) has only won one of its last five games, but is 7-5 in non-conference play this season. 

Today's officials are Don Daily, Jeffrey Anderson, Vlad Voyard-Todal. 

Tipoff is set for 5 p.m., CT, on ESPN2. According to BetOnline.ag, the Crimson Tide is a 9-point favorite and the over/under is set for 146. 

Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats says that Javian Davis will be in uniform, but will only enter the game on a need basis. Davis suffered a right knee bone bruise against Vanderbilt. 

Pregame

• Alabama starters: Kira Lewis, Jr., John Petty, Jr., Jaden Shackelford, Herb Jones, and Alex Reese
• Kansas State: David Sloan, Dajuan Gordan, Xavier Sneed, Levi Stockard III, and Makes Mawien. 

First Half 

• The Wildcats win the tip and Sneed scores a 3-pointer to start the game. 
• Reese answers with a layup for the Crimson Tide. 
• K-State dialed in from beyond the arc early. Murphy just banged home another. 
• Shackelford and Petty hit treys on back-to-back Crimson Tide possessions to tie the game at 8. 
• It's raining threes here in Coleman. Lewis gets one and then the Wildcats turn it over on the other end. 
• Alabama trails 12-11 at the first media timeout of the evening. 
• During the timeout, the Crimson Tide All-Girls Cheerleading team is being honored for winning the national championship last weekend. They received a huge standing ovation. 
• Out of the timeout, Jones is fouled and he will head to the line. He sinks one of two from the charity stripe. Beetle Bolden has entered the game along with Galin Smith. 
• Jones takes a charge and Coleman loves that. 
• Murphy swishes a three to give the Wildcats the lead again. 
• It was short-lived as Petty rattles home a trey of his own. 
• After a jumper by Murphy, Bolden is fouled shooting a three. He makes all three.
• Jaylen Forbes has been subbed in for Jones. 
• Diarra makes another 3-pointer to give Kansas State a 20-18 advantage. 
• Smith is fouled on a shot attempt in the post and he will go to the line after the under-12 minute media timeout. 
• Smith makes one of two. 
• Gordon and Smith trade baskets and K-State has a 22-21 lead. 
• McGurl is at the line after a foul by Smith and he can only convert one of two. 
• Petty has a huge chase down block on the dunk attempt by Diarra, but Sneed makes the tip-in on the rebound. 
• A couple of turnovers on the last few possessions by Petty and Jones for the Crimson Tide, but Kansas State can not make anything of it. 
• Lewis catches the air ball by Gordon, goes coast to coast to the other end and is fouled by Gordon on a layup. Lewis sinks both free throws. Alabama is down 25-23 with 8:31 to go. 
• Petty misses the front end of the one-and-one. The Wildcats grab the board and Reese blocks Mawien's layup. 
• Javian Davis has entered the game for the Crimson Tide. 
• At the under-8 minute media timeout, Alabama still trails 25-23. 
• Petty is fouled, driving to the lane. He'll shoot two and he makes two. Tie ball game at 25. 
• Diarra breaks the tie with a mid-range jumper for the Wildcats.
• Lewis travels on the other end for Alabama. Turnovers continuing to plague the Crimson Tide.
• After a turnover by Shackelford, McGurl nails a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Oats is not liking what he sees and calls a 30-second timeout. Alabama down 30-25 with 6:20 to go. 
• Alabama has not scored a field goal in almost five minutes of action. 
• That travel by Reese is Alabama's seventh of the game. 
• Lewis attacks the basket and is fouled on the shot. He makes both of his free throws. 
• Petty forces a steal and throws it up to Lewis for the transition dunk. That will get the crowd back on their feet. Wildcats coach Bruce Weber calls a timeout. Alabama trails 30-29 with 4:14 remaining. 
• The Crimson Tide force a Wildcat miss and Jones scores a hard layup to give Alabama a lead, 31-30. 
• Petty forces another Wildcat turnover from Gordon and Alabama will have the ball coming out of the under-4 minute media timeout. 31-30 Crimson Tide with 3:42 on the clock. 
• Jones has his dunk blocked, which leads to Kansas State getting fouled on the other end. Sloan makes both foul shots. Wildcats have regained the lead, 32-31. 
• Jones is called for a foul on Mawien's shot. Mawien can only make one of two though. Kansas State leads 33-31. 
• Jones has now picked up two quick fouls. He is called for a charge and the Coleman crowd is not happy. 
• Lewis gets a steal and he'll head to the line after getting fouled. He rattles in both. Tied at 33 with 2:33 to go. 
• Reese swats Stockard's shot off the backboard. Petty gets control and is fouled shooting a long two-pointer. He only makes one of two to give Alabama a one-point lead, 34-33. 
• Smith is called for a reach-in foul and Mawien is shooting a one-and-one. 
• Davis checks in for Smith, meanwhile, Mawien hits both foul shots. 
• Lewis drives and scores, giving Alabama the lead yet again, 36-35. 
• Stockard hits a jumper from the corner and Alabama can not convert on the other end. 
• Alabama will head into the locker room at the halftime break trailing the Wildcats, 37-36. Lewis leads all scorers with 13 points.

Second Half

• The starters for the second half are the same that started the game. 
• Reese bangs home a 3-pointer to get the scoring going for the Crimson Tide. 
• After that Wildcats miss, Gordon is called for a block, then Lewis is called for a travel. 
• Kansas State continues to struggle from the field. Shackelford finds Reese in the lane, who finishes with a dunk. Quick 5-0 run for the Crimson Tide. Weber wants a timeout. 41-37 Alabama with 18:08 to go. This is Alabama's biggest lead of the game. 
• Lewis gets a steal and scores an easy layup. Alabama leads 43-37. 
• Petty just picked up his second foul. Sloan makes one of two from the line, but K-State grabs the offensive board. Lewis now fouls Sneed on a 3-point shot attempt. 
• Sneed hits two of three to cut the Alabama lead to three, 43-40. 
• Petty answers with a nice mid-range jumper. 
• Petty gets called for foul on the rebound and then gets assessed a technical foul. Petty has four fouls and Jones has three. 
• Sneed only makes one of two from the line. Alabama still leads, 45-41. 
• Bolden has checked in for Petty along with Smith. 
• Lewis pulls up from the elbow and hits. Alabama leads 47-43 at the under-16 minute media timeout. 15:12 remaining. 
• Shackelford scores a tough basket and is fouled by Sloan. He completes the and-one. 
• He is getting hot now. Shackelford just buried a long trey and Alabama is up 10. On the next defensive possession, Shackelford takes the charge. He can do it all. 
• Alabama is feeling it. Lewis just hit another 3-pointer off of the Kansas State turnover. Alabama leads, 56-43. 
• Jones scores at the rim and gets fouled in the process. He makes the foul shot to give Alabama a 16-point lead, 59-43. 
• Forbes and Davis have checked in. 
• Sneed stops the bleeding and hits a 3-pointer for the Wildcats, cutting the lead to 13. 
• At the under-12 minute media timeout, Alabama owns a 59-46 advantage. The Crimson Tide is shooting 9-of-12 from the field this half. 
• Out of the timeout, Alabama forces a shot-clock violation from the Wildcats.
• Forbes gets an offensive rebound and is fouled on the put back attempt. He sinks both. 
• After Sneed hits that three, Shackelford is fouled and misses the front end of a one-and-one. 
• Two free throws from Diarra has cut Alabama's lead to eight, 61-53, with 9:20 to go. 
• Mawien throws down the alley-opp dunk for the Wildcats. 
• Diarra banks in a 3-pointer and Alabama only leads by three, 61-58. 
• We have reached the under-eight minute media timeout. Alabama is currently getting out rebounded, 17-3, on the offensive glass. 
• Reese sinks one of two from the line after getting fouled by Mawien. 
• Diarra hits another big 3-pointer. One point lead for Alabama, 62-61. 
• Lewis has made a couple layups, along with Reese, hitting a 3-pointer, down the stretch but Diarra continues to come up big for the Wildcats. Alabama leads, 69-67, with 2:47 to go. 
• Shackelford is at the line shooting two. He makes them both. Alabama now has a four-point lead. 
• Smith gets tied up down low and a jump ball is called. Alabama will take possession. 
• Jones is called for a charge taking the ball up the court. His fourth foul. 
• Petty is fouled on the rebound and he will shoot two. He misses them both. 
• Murphy is fouled by Petty on his shot attempt and that is it for him. Petty fouls out with 11 points and three rebounds. 
• Murphy misses both free throws and Alabama controls the board. 
• Jones is now heading to the line. He makes one of two. Alabama has a five-point lead with 35 seconds to go. 
• Mawien makes the easy lay in and Weber calls a 60-second timeout. The Crimson Tide lead 72-69 with 24 seconds remaining. 
• Reese finds Lewis on the inbounds pass and he gets fouled by Gordon. He will shoot two and Gordon is gone with five fouls. 
• Lewis makes them both, then, McGuirl nails a quick three. 
• Jones is back at the line. He makes them both this time. 
• Mawien scores a dunk with 2.2 seconds left. Jones is fouled quickly on the inbounds pass and he will head back to the line. 
• Jones makes one of two and Diarra misses a heave from half court. 
• Alabama holds on to defeat Kansas State, 77-74. Lewis finishes with 26 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.