For the eighth time this year, Alabama erupted for 100 points. Against Texas A&M, a team known for stingy, punch-you-in-the-mouth play, UA paired quick offense with physical defense for an easy win in front of Nick Saban and a star-studded Coleman Coliseum crowd.

The No. 15 Crimson Tide (18-7, 10-2 SEC) christened their new alternate throwback uniforms with a 100-75 final score. A&M’s (15-10, 6-6) Buzz Williams was the lone head coach to have a winning record against UA’s Nate Oats, but the afternoon drubbing knotted the series at 2 wins apiece.

Five Tide scorers posted double-digit points, led by 23 from Mark Sears. He tied Collin Sexton’s record with a 16th outing with at least 20 points. Alabama extended its conference lead to a full game before second-place South Carolina and Auburn are set to tip off against LSU and Kentucky, respectively.

Here are our takeaways from the 100-75 blowout.

Alabama wins battle of starting backcourts

Ahead of the game, Oats agreed with a reporter’s question that A&M presented a benchmark challenge for its guards. Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford entered averaging nearly 38 points a game and taking 41% of their team’s shots. On Saturday, they combined for 32 points on 14-of-32 shooting with eight combined turnovers.

For a UA team that used its midseason bye week to focus on defense, specifically with its guards, limiting the Aggies’ talented duo marked a step in the right direction.

“For me, I know Wade personally. We’re both from Dallas and I knew that was going to be who I was gonna guard. We’re real cool, didn’t want to let him have no bragging rights,” Rylan Griffen (17 points) said. ” … Just taking it like brothers playing against each other.

Radford, I mean, he’s real good too so you gotta focus on both of those two players, dynamic guards who have beat us before. Didn’t want to have that happen again.”

Alabama jumped out to an early lead after a 9-0 run in two minutes following a Radford jumper. The Tide pressed high on screens, denying lanes to Radford and Taylor. At one point, following a good defensive showing from Sears at halfcourt, Williams needed to nearly walk in front of the official to signal a timeout, his pleas drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

Sears, Aaron Estrada and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., UA’s starters, combined for 40 points and converted 20 of Alabama’s 37 field goals.

Alabama committed 12 turnovers but shot 43.9% from range

Through league play, Alabama has the second-worst turnover percentage of the 14 teams, per KenPom. In its losses at Tennessee and Auburn, UA committed 22 and 15 giveaways, respectively. Against the Aggies, Alabama produced 17 points off turnovers while coughing it up five times during the opening half as it built an early lead.

Part of Alabama’s dominance came from its 18 3-pointers, matching the SEC high it set last week at LSU. On two different possessions in the second half, Wrightsell stole the ball and swished an open deep shot in front of the Alabama bench. Wrightsell scored 16 points, all in the second half, with four 3s. Oats referred to him postgame as “one of the best shooters” he’s ever coached.

“I got yelled at again by Coach (Oats) not taking a shot (in the first half). I mean, y’all already probably know he yells at me every game for not taking a shot. I came in the second half with a better mental. It just worked for me,” Wrightsell said.

When alerted to a stat that Alabama was 8-0 when Wrightsell, who’s recently jumped into the starting lineup, produced at least 10 points, Oats noted he doesn’t often call plays for the Cal-State Fullerton transfer. Instead, according to Oats, Wrightsell’s point total is a good barometer for how free-flowing UA’s offense can be.

Tide overcome the rebounding margin

A&M is the best offensive-rebounding team in the country, led by Andersson Garcia’s 114 boards. He and Solomon Washington presented a potential matchup disadvantage with UA’s four-guard lineup. But, despite retaining possession on 26 of their 46 misses, A&M managed just 21 second-chance points.

Oats joked postgame that returning player Noah Clowney didn’t give a good enough pregame speech before the Aggies outrebounded the Tide 49-38 overall. But Williams credited Alabama’s 14 offensive rebounds as a key factor as the margin quickly ballooned to 16 points heading into intermission. And when Taylor made a layup to cut the deficit to 11 halfway through the frame, Alabama mounted another 10-0 run to put it away.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].