The Alabama Crimson Tide suffered a shocking defensive meltdown on Wednesday night, falling to the Missouri Tigers 110-98 in Columbia. Despite an admirable offensive effort, the Tide’s inability to lock down defensively ultimately handed them a second consecutive loss, casting doubts over their SEC regular-season title aspirations.
Missouri set the tone early, racing out to a 12-0 lead within the first two-and-a-half minutes. Alabama’s defensive lapses in on-ball coverage, missed rotations, and lack of discipline allowed Missouri to pile on 59 first-half points, marking one of the worst defensive performances in the program’s recent history.
The Tigers capitalized on Alabama’s lack of resistance, shooting a blistering 53.8% from the floor and 74.3% on two-point attempts—both ranking among the worst marks surrendered by Alabama in the KenPom era. Missouri’s dominance in the paint was particularly glaring, with Duke transfer Mark Mitchell leading all scorers with 31 points, as Alabama’s big men, Grant Nelson and Cliff Omoruyi, struggled to contain him.
Although the Crimson Tide showed slight improvement in the second half, the damage was already done. Missouri’s 110 points marked the first time this season that Alabama has allowed an opponent to break the century mark. The Tide’s defensive efficiency dropped significantly, with their ranking in KenPom’s metrics falling six spots to 46th—a rare feat this late in the season.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats expressed frustration with the team’s lack of physicality and effort in the interior. Nelson, in particular, had a tough night, finishing with a team-worst plus-minus of -20 and logging less than 20 minutes on the floor. Oats opted to go small, relying on Mo Dioubate and Jarin Stevenson, who provided more energy despite their physical disadvantages.
The loss comes at a critical time for Alabama. With three of their final five regular-season opponents ranked among the top five in offensive efficiency—Kentucky, Auburn, and Florida—the Tide must address their defensive shortcomings quickly.
While the team’s offensive talent, led by Mark Sears and Aden Holloway, keeps them competitive, their defensive struggles could limit their postseason potential. As Alabama prepares to face Kentucky on Saturday, their ability to reset and regroup will determine whether they can bounce back or see their season’s aspirations slip away.
Alabama fans can only hope that Wednesday’s collapse was a wake-up call, and not a sign of deeper issues that could derail their season.
