Who’s Playing
Kent State Golden Flashes @ Alabama Crimson Tide
Current Records: Kent State 8-2, Alabama 9-2
How To Watch
- When: Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Coleman Coliseum — Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- TV: SEC Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
The Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the Kent State Golden Flashes in a holiday battle at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at at Coleman Coliseum. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Alabama is headed into Sunday’s match after beating the impressive 167.5-point over/under the oddsmakers set for their last contest against North Dakota. Alabama came out on top against North Dakota by a score of 97-90 on Wednesday. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Alabama’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Grant Nelson led the charge by dropping a double-double on 23 points and ten rebounds. Nelson had some trouble finding his footing against Creighton on Saturday, so this was a step in the right direction. Another player making a difference was Mark Sears, who posted 23 points along with five assists and two steals.
Meanwhile, one look at the score and it should come as no surprise that Kent State was far and away the favorite against Mercyhurst on Sunday. Kent State was the clear victor by an 82-57 margin over Mercyhurst. The Golden Flashes have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matchups by 19 points or more this season.
Kent State’s victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was VonCameron Davis, who went 5 for 9 en route to 17 points plus two blocks. Marquis Barnett was another key player, earning 15 points along with five rebounds.
Kent State smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Alabama is on a roll lately: they’ve won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-2 record this season. As for Kent State, their win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-2.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Alabama has been crazy accurate this season, having drained 47.3% of their field goals per game. It’s a different story for Kent State, though, as they’ve only made 40.7% of their field goals this season. Given Alabama’s sizable advantage in that area, Kent State will need to find a way to close that gap.