The Alabama buzzsaw that tore through the first seven games of its SEC schedule came to a grinding halt Wednesday night in Coleman Coliseum, but the Tide clawed its way to a win that kept it undefeated in conference play.

Smothered by Mississippi State’s defense for almost the game’s first 30 minutes and having trailed by as many as 11 points, Alabama mounted a second-half comeback to beat the Bulldogs, 66-63, and improve to 8-0 in the league.

The victory was Alabama’s ninth in a row, extending the nation’s longest winning streak among high-major teams and the sixth-longest in Division I. Now 18-2, the Tide continued its best start since 1976-77, when it began 19-2.

After outscoring its first seven SEC opponents by a combined 147 points, nothing came easily Wednesday night for Alabama. It fell into an early 10-2 hole and saw each of its comeback attempts thwarted by a scrappy Bulldogs team that made key defensive stops and responded with big baskets.

But the Tide’s Dom Welch knocked down a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut MSU’s lead to seven points, and Alabama continued to trim away in the second half to eventually take its first lead with 9:19 left. The Bulldogs briefly pulled back ahead, but Brandon Miller made his first three-pointer of the game to re-take the lead and Alabama never lost it.

The drama continued until the closing minute, when Mississippi State trailed by three points with a chance at the final shot. Noah Gurley blocked one attempt and the Bulldogs’ next attempt fell short to end the game.

Alabama travels Saturday to play Oklahoma in the SEC/Big 12 challenge, with a 1 p.m. CT tip off in Norman. A win would match Alabama’s 10-game winning streak during the 2020-21 season, which ended with a loss at Oklahoma.

This story will be updated.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.