Alabama basketball fights off LSU, wins 10th SEC game with 79-69 win

Alabama basketball has proven it can respond well to losses. The question heading into Saturday was how it would respond to a big win, facing a team it should beat.

The trip to Baton Rouge somewhat mirrored the one to Norman a week ago. Alabama was viewed as the comfortable favorite on the road against Oklahoma on Jan. 28. Then the Crimson Tide lost big.

There was no repeat Saturday. LSU gave much more of a fight than the 40-point January loss in Tuscaloosa. Alabama struggled to hit a field goal in the last seven minutes, but the Crimson Tide still prevailed 79-69 at Pete Maravich Assembly Center..

Here are observations and takeaways from the game between No. 5 Alabama basketball (20-3, 10-0 SEC) and LSU (12-11, 1-9):

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Alabama heats up from beyond the arc at perfect time

LSU was hanging around, never allowing Alabama to pull away even later in the second half.

Then the Crimson Tide found a rhythm from deep. Alabama hit five straight triples about midway through the second half. Rylan Griffen hit two, and Mark Sears sunk another two. Thanks to those efforts, Alabama took a 75-63 lead with 7:19 left, the largest lead of the game. That was key when Alabama struggled to hit shots in the final minutes.

Noah Clowney steps up

Clowney was making plays all over the court. He had multiple dunks, made defensive plays (see the three blocks) and had 14 points.

With star freshman Brandon Miller in foul trouble in the second half, Clowney was needed.

Nimari Burnett key in first half

The Vanderbilt game was no fluke. Burnett is back.

It took him a few games to get going after he returned from a month away after wrist surgery, but Burnett has shown against Vanderbilt and now LSU that he is going to be a problem for teams down the stretch.

Burnett was an important piece to Alabama building a first-half lead against LSU. After the Crimson Tide struggled to hit a triple early, he knocked down two in a row. By halftime, Burnett had 13 points and three rebounds.

Free-throws keep LSU in game early

LSU didn't get much going offensively and struggled to hit shots early. That didn't matter much, though. Plenty of free throws kept the Tigers within striking distance of the Crimson Tide.

LSU hit 13-of-14 from the line in the first half while Alabama went 6-for-6. The Tigers shot 36% from the field and 22% from beyond the arc before the break.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama fights off LSU, stays undefeated in SEC play