Alabama men’s basketball managed not to get hooked in the Texas trap.

It would have been easy to let happen, and even understandable. The No. 2 Crimson Tide has the biggest regular-season game of the season approaching Saturday against No. 1 Auburn. The matchup has already been talked about plenty, even with a game first against Texas on the road looming Tuesday night. Any team in Alabama’s spot could have easily looked past a lesser team in the Longhorns and focus more on the rivalry game this weekend.

But the Crimson Tide didn’t. Alabama walked into the Moody Center and dominated. The Crimson Tide beat the Longhorns 103-80 in Austin, Texas.

Here are takeaways from the game between No. 2 Alabama (21-3, 10-1 SEC) and Texas (15-10, 4-8).

Only turnovers stop Alabama early

If not for the turnovers, Alabama might have grabbed a 30-point lead at halftime. That’s about the only thing that slowed the Crimson Tide down in the opening frame.

Alabama had nine first-half turnovers, giving the ball up on 26.5% of possessions.

Otherwise, the Crimson Tide rolled. Alabama didn’t miss much, draining 7 of 12 triples (58%) and 17 of 26 overall shot attempts (65%), fueling a 49-31 lead at the break.

Meanwhile, the Alabama defense kept Texas from doing much. The Longhorns couldn’t even get to 30% shooting on either field goals or 3-pointers. Texas averaged .886 points per possession, a measly number while Alabama averaged 1.441.

A variety of players contributed to the strong efforts. Labaron Philon led the way with 10 points in the first half over 11 minutes.

Nate Oats called turnovers a “major problem” after the Georgia game, and they continued to be. Yet they don’t seem to stop Alabama from cruising. At least not against Texas.

Triples fly from Alabama backcourt and otherwise

Alabama flexed the full power of its backcourt. The guards lit up Texas from beyond the arc.

Labaron Philon drained triples. Aden Holloway did, too. Mark Sears also joined the multiple 3-pointers club. Chris Youngblood also had one of his own.

The group combined to run Texas out of the gym as the Longhorns struggled to keep up with the high clip of 3-pointers.

The guards weren’t the only ones making triples, but they played a big part in the strong percentage Alabama logged. The Crimson Tide finished the day 59% from beyond the arc.

From deep, Philon finished 3 for 5, Holloway went 3 for 6 and Sears went 2 for 5. The guards overall made nine of Alabama’s 17 triples on 29 attempts.

The Crimson Tide backcourt made plays in other ways, too. Plenty of field goals, rebounds, assists and otherwise. But the high number of 3-pointers jumped out on a day the group shined overall.

Jarin Stevenson emerges

The second-year player has experienced some bumps along the road of the 2024-25 season. His impact has often been limited. The game against Texas wasn’t one of those nights, though. Far from it.

Stevenson, with only one double-digit scoring game in SEC play prior to Tuesday, almost reached that mark in the first half alone. In the first five minutes, Stevenson scored five points and grabbed three rebounds.

His efforts continued in the second half. Stevenson hit triples, grabbed rebounds and blocked a shot. The Chapel Hill native played a key role in the victory, scoring 22 points with four triples and four rebounds. Stevenson far surpassed his previous season-high scoring total of 11 points.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.