Bama Central

Live Blog: Updates from Alabama Basketball in SEC Tournament vs. Kentucky

Score updates and insight from Bridgestone Arena where the Crimson Tide takes on the Wildcats on the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Katie Windham|
2025 SEC Tournament quarterfinals: Kentucky vs. Alabama
2025 SEC Tournament quarterfinals: Kentucky vs. Alabama | BamaCentral

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Alabama Crimson Tide

NASHVILLE–– BamaCentral is inside Bridgestone Arena and ready to cover some Alabama basketball after a long day of SEC basketball games. The Crimson Tide is literally the last team in the conference to take the floor in the 2025 SEC Tournament.

The 3-seed Alabama will be taking on 6-seed Kentucky for the third time this season. The Tide won both matchups in the regular season and is looking to be the first team to beat Kentucky three times in the same season since 1979.

The Wildcats will be without guard Lamont Paris, and freshman forward Derrion Reid is a game-time decision for the Crimson Tide.

Tipoff will be approximately 25 minutes after the conclusion of Florida and Missouri's game on SEC Network. Follow along for updates on Alabama Crimson Tide on SI throughout Friday night's game.

Live Blog

(latest updates at the top)

FINAL: Alabama 99, Kentucky 70

Final stats
Final stats | SEC

Second Half

FINAL: Alabama 99, Kentucky 70

ALA-BAMA chant in Bridgestone with the Crimson Tide leading 97-70.

1:55- Aiden Sherrell fouls out. He had a sneaky good game with 7 rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

3:05- Alabama walk-on Max Scharnowski checks into the game with Alabama up 92-65 to the great delight of the Crimson Tide crowd

3:45- Alabama 90, Kentucky 65- It's a blowout in Bridgestone at the final media timeout. Domination from the Tide in the second half

With his latest basket, Philon ties his career high with 21 points. Alabama leads 90-65

7:11- Alabama 81, Kentucky 60- BBN is heading for the exits with Alabama leading by over 20. Another Kentucky goaltending call was overturned during the break.

9:15- Omoruyi picks up his fourth foul, but Oats is leaving him in the game for now with the TIde leading by 20 points. There have been 20 fouls called on Alabama compared to 14 for Kentucky

10:39- This is the Alabama offense we've come to know. Sears drains a 3 to put Alabama up 77-57. Tide now 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in the second half.

11:02- Alabama lead up to 20 points after a 3 from Youngblood

12:34- Alabama fans loudest they've been all night after a slam from Dioubate puts the Tide up 69-52

14:41- Holloway finally makes his first basket of the game for Alabama. It's a 3-pointer that gives the Tide its largest lead at 64-50

14:54- Stevenson gets his fourth foul 30 seconds later.

15:23- Stevenson picks up his third foul. Alabama starting to get into some foul trouble with its bigs.

15:53- Alabama 57, Kentucky 46- Guess we're taking another media timeout in less than 30 seconds of game time. The Cats did make a basket during that time though.

16:20- Alabama 57, Kentucky 44- Great start to the half for the Tide. Alabama has already hit more 3s in the first four minutes of the second half than the entire first half. Tide fans in

16:29- Dioubate hits a 3-pointer to put Alabama up 57-44. Timeout Kentucky

17:30- Omoruyi gets his third foul. Both of Alabama's starting bigs now have three fouls. Time for Stevenson, Dioubate and Sherrell to step up

18:02- Philon hits a 3, and Alabama has its largest lead of the game at 52-42

18:33- Grant Nelson picks up his third foul for Alabama

19:16: Youngblood makes his first basket of the game, a 3-pointer to put Alabama up 49-40

HALFTIME: Alabama 45, Kentucky 38

  • Goal-tending call on Kentucky has been reversed, so Alabama is up seven points instead of nine.
  • Labaron Philon leads Alabama with 13 points.
  • Kentucky's Amari Williams leads the Cats with 12 points.
  • Alabama shot just 15 percent (2-13) from beyond the arc in the first half. That's something the Tide will want to increase in the second half.
  • Big difference in the game right now is Alabama's 14 points off eight Kentucky turnovers.
  • Alabama missed a lot of open shots in the first half and still lead the entire time.
  • Reid did return from injury, but only played two minutes.
  • It will be Alabama ball to start the second half.

First Half

0:35- Alabama has had such active hands on defense. Sherrell forces a steal, and Philon converts on the other end with an and-1 to put Alabama up 47-36.

3:11- Oats doesn't like that offensive foul call on Nelson. He's having words with Doug Shows.

3:42- Alabama 36, Kentucky 32 at the final media timeout of the first half. Oats often talks about finishing the half strong. Can Alabama do it here?

5:00- Grant Nelson answers with a huge 3 for Alabama to make it 36-30 after BBN was starting to get back into it

5:17- Holloway fouls a Kentucky 3-point shooter, and Nate Oats isn't going to be happy with that one. Perry makes two of the three free throws to cut the Alabama lead to 33-30

5:40- Oweh returns to the game for the Wildcats after getting hit in the face earlier and spending a few minutes in the locker room.

6:29- Kentucky answers on the other end with an and-1 from Perry to cut it to 31-26

6:45- Jarin Stevenson makes Alabama's first 3-pointer of the game, 31-23 Alabama

7:19- Andrew Carr picks up his third foul for Kentucky. Not great for a Cats team already operating with a thin bench. Omoruyi makes one of his two FTs to make it 28-21 Alabama

7:47- Alabama 27, Kentucky 21- Mark Pope calls timeout after an offensive rebound and dunk from Omoruyi. "Let's Go Bama" chants break out in Bridgestone. Alabama still hasn't made a 3-pointer (0-9 from beyond the arc)

10:54- Trent Noah ends Alabama's 9-0 run with a layup. Tide still leads 23-16

Derrion Reid checks into the game for Alabama out of the timeout. His first action since Feb. 15

11:24- Alabama 22, Kentucky 14- Alabama is turning defense into offense as Labaron Philon is heating up as part of an 8-0 Tide run. Alabama has already forced six turnovers with nine points off those turnovers. Philon will be shooting a free throw after the commercial.

13:13- Jarin Stevenson converts an and-1 for Alabama on the first play out of the timeout to re-give Alabama the lead at 17-14

13:20- Alabama 14, Kentucky 14- It took us a while to get to the first media timeout in this fast-paced game. Alabama has been playing better so far, but the Tide is 0 for 6 from 3 while the Cats are 2 for 3 from deep. Kentucky has made its last five shots from the floor.

13:45- Carr lays it in for Kentucky to tie it at 14-14, and it's getting loud in Bridgestone

17:35- Clifford Omoruyi is already havinga. lot of success getting to the basket with three early dunk attempts. Alabama leads 6-4

18:35- Kentucky fans already not happening with the officiating on a block/charge call on defense. Grant Nelson makes both free throws for Alabama to make it 4-0 Tide

Alabama wins the opening tip, and this game is underway.

Starting lineups:

Kentucky vs. Alabama starting lineups
Kentucky vs. Alabama starting lineups | SEC

Pregame

Starting lineups have been announced at 8:50. Minutes away from tip.

Good turnout from Alabama's student section here in Nashville.

Tonight's officials: Joe Lindsay, Doug Shows and K.B. Burdett, Jr.

As expected, the crowd inside Bridgestone is majority Big Blue Nation, but there is a good smattering of Crimson throughout the building.

Derrion Reid is going through warmups with the Crimson Tide. He has not played since Feb. 15 and is listed as a game-time decision.

Florida beats Missouri, 95-81. Alabama and Kentucky will tip off at approximately 8:50 p.m.

8:19 p.m.- Missouri calls timeout with 1:19 left trailing by 16 points.

Florida and Missouri have reached the final media timeout of their game. Gators lead 85-75 with 3:28 to go.

As the higher-seeded team, Alabama will be wearing its home uniforms–– white jerseys with white shorts.

The tentative start time for the Alabama/Kentucky game was 8:30 p.m. CT, but at 8 p.m., there is still 7:45 left in the Florida/Mizzou game.

Alabama got to Bridgestone right around 7 p.m. Tipoff is scheduled for 25 minutes after the conclusion of Florida vs. Missouri.

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Katie Windham
KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball, gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.

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