Alabama finds rare air for SEC in win over Illinois at United Center originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Alabama delivered the jolt the SEC badly needed Wednesday night, grinding out a 90-86 win over No. 8 Illinois in a charged atmosphere at the United Center.
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In a season when the conference has stumbled through high-profile losses, the No. 11 Crimson Tide provided a rare moment.
Freshman Andrej Stojaković nearly spoiled it. The Illinois guard scored 26 points and repeatedly dragged the Illini back into contention, cutting the deficit to 67-64 with five minutes left. His shot-making out of ball screens kept Alabama on its heels for much of the second half.
But the game ultimately swung on a hustle play. Houston Mallette finished with modest numbers with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Yet his steal and breakaway layup with five minutes remaining proved decisive.
Illinois had snagged consecutive offensive rebounds and appeared ready to reset through Stojaković before Mallette jumped the passing lane and converted, stretching the Tide’s lead to 72-64 and zapping the building’s energy.
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Lebaron Philon added 24 points and five assists for Alabama, which matched Illinois’ late pushes with timely shooting and physical rebounding. The Tide controlled enough 50-50 balls to keep the Illini from ever fully closing the gap.
The victory arrived at a pivotal moment for the SEC, which has slogged through uneven early-season results. While several league powers have faltered in marquee games, Alabama has now recorded two neutral-site wins over top-10 opponents in as many weeks. Nobody else is even close.
Meanwhile, Kentucky is licking its wounds after losing by 17 to Michigan State. Arkansas is dodging alarm bells. Texas A&M is losing winnable games. And league-wide? The vibes are quite erratic.
But Alabama? They’re stacking wins where most SEC teams are lacking.
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For a conference searching for dominance, the Tide offered something close to it and, for now, a much-needed breath of confidence.
