Here’s Everything Alabama Coach Nate Oats Said After the Tide’s 115-76 Win Over UNLV in Las Vegas
In a dominant bounce-back performance at the Players Era Festival, No. 8/9 Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team crushed UNLV 115-76 on November 25, 2025, tying the second-highest scoring total in program history. The victory came after a recent loss, showcasing Alabama’s resilience under head coach Nate Oats, who praised his team’s response in the postgame press conference. The Tide improved to 6-2 on the season, highlighting improved rebounding and offensive efficiency against a shorthanded UNLV squad.
The game, played at a neutral site in Las Vegas, saw Alabama pull away early. They built a 51-36 halftime lead, fueled by strong shooting and bench contributions, before exploding in the second half with a 12-0 run to extend the margin to 34 points. Alabama shot 55.4% from the field, 42.4% from three, and 82.9% from the free-throw line, while dominating the boards 48-28, including a season-high 14 offensive rebounds. This marked the fifth time under Oats that Alabama scored over 110 points, with three such games in the last two seasons.
Standout performers included sophomore guard Aden Holloway, who led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, plus four rebounds and four assists. Houston Mallette added 19 points, while freshman London Jemison contributed a career-high 18 points off the bench. Labaron Philon Jr. and Amari Allen each scored 13, and Taylor Bol Bowen chipped in 12 points with seven rebounds. Six Tide players reached double figures, a feat not seen since the 2025 NCAA Tournament. For UNLV, Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn paced the Rebels with 25 points, but the team struggled with a .423 field-goal percentage and just .500 from the line.
Following the blowout, Oats addressed the media, emphasizing the team’s rebound from defeat and key improvements. Here’s everything he said:
“Obviously we played a lot better. I was very impressed with our effort on the glass. We played pretty well after a loss and I thought the guys answered the bell pretty well. I thought Labaron and Holloway came out and moved the ball like we wanted them to do. The rebounding is what I was most happy with. We were +20 on the glass and +4 on the offensive boards. Aiden Sherrell had four offensive rebounds, he led us rebounding with eight in just under 13 minutes. Taylor Bol Bowen went and got seven, Noah Williamson got six. Our frontcourt was significantly better than what it had been. And with our backcourt, I’ve been challenging them to get in there and rebound. Labaron and Aden both had three defensive rebounds, Amari got five rebounds, so we need those guys to help rebound.
“I thought that was a good game to get our freshmen some minutes. London and Davion Hannah were both 24 or 25 minutes. I thought it got some really good action. It would’ve been nice to get Davion some more shots, but I thought his defense and his effort was good. London has been shooting the ball in Vegas which will hopefully give him some confidence. Good win against a team that, when they get healthy, is going to be really good. This will be a pretty good win in March for our resume. So I’m happy we could get the guys off their feet and rested because we have a tough one against Maryland tomorrow.”
Oats’ comments underscore Alabama’s focus on rebounding and development, setting the stage for their next matchup against Maryland on November 27. With this win, the Tide bolster their resume, eyeing another deep postseason run after last year’s Final Four appearance.
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