Ken Rogers column: Hustle makes difference for Tide

TUSCALOOSA — Get used to this. Conference games decided by razor-thin margins.

Alabama’s SEC-opening victory over LSU on Sunday gave the Crimson Tide its first 1-0 start since 2003.

It also gave its fans some hope that when push comes to shove at crunch time, Alabama is eager to fight back.

The difference between the Tide and Tigers were microscopic in terms of personnel. Instead, hustle plays preserved a victory in which Alabama never trailed.

Senario Hillman stole the headlines with a career-high 24 points, including 20 in the second half.

But big plays made by teammates turned Hillman’s effort into a winning one, instead of just a note in an Alabama defeat.

Alonzo Gee grabbed 13 rebounds, five on the offensive end. Justin Knox had five second-half rebounds and finished with six total.

Freshman JaMychal Green scored six points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.

Gee’s offensive rebound after Ronald Steele missed an attempt as the shot clock wound down gave Alabama a fresh 35 seconds with less than two minutes remaining.

Alabama coach Mark Gottfried referred to that “hustle play” when describing the end of the game.

“He was just absolutely determined to get the basketball, save it, throw it back in,” Gottfried said. “It changed the end of the game with the shot clock and possession.”

“I think it was huge for us,” Gee said. “My team, they see me not giving up and making the extra play. It’s huge for the freshmen and sophomores on the team to see that. That’ll help us down the line.”

Steele, surgically repaired knees and all, dove on the floor during a scramble in the final minute. Steele didn’t play well, but he did play hurt, Gottfried said.

“His heel bothered him some,” the coach said after his senior point guard was just 2-for-10 and finished with five points, two assists and three turnovers. “He’s got a bruise on his foot. He wouldn’t use it as an excuse.”

Gottfried was actually encouraged that Alabama held on with its floor leader ailing.

“He struggled some,” Gottfried said. “For us to win despite that I thought was important for our team and our confidence.”

Hillman said hustle plays provide as much momentum as a big basket or defensive stop.

“Ron and Gee, I know they dive at the ball and made some great hustle plays. We’ve got to have more of that in the game. It gets everybody going, too,” Hillman said.

“When everybody’s playing hard, we can be a hard team to beat.”

Gottfried also credited key defensive stops in the face of LSU’s late comeback.

“We didn’t guard them in the second half near as well as we did the first half,” the coach said. “But key times late in the game, key stops, getting a rebound or a blocked shot. Alonzo had a big rebound. JaMychal (Green) had a big blocked shot. Couple key plays here or there were the difference, I think, down the stretch.”

Not just big baskets. Hustle plays. There haven’t been enough of those at key times in the past several years. And with a West Division looking extremely tight from top to bottom, there will have to more in the next month and a half.

“I think the effort was there,” Gee said. “We keep our effort up and that’ll get us going, that’ll keep us going. It helps us keep hustling.”