Alabama star Mark Sears returned to the starting lineup and helped lead the No. 4 Crimson Tide to an 88-84 win at No. 14 Mississippi State on Wednesday night after he was benched for the entire second half in Saturday's win over LSU.

On Wednesday night, a SEC matchup with a lengthy history will officially be renewed once again, as the Alabama Crimson Tide travel west to Starkville, Mississippi for a Top 25 showdown with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Mark Sears was benched over the weekend against LSU, but he bounced back nicely against Mississippi State.

Alabama made 15 3-pointers on Wednesday night in Starkville to pick up a close win over Mississippi State in a top-15 SEC showdown.

Alabama and Miss State meet! It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Alabama-Mississippi State prediction and pick.

On Wednesday night, two of the SEC’s top basketball teams are set to meet in what is a Top 25 matchup inside of Humphrey Coliseum, as the Mississippi State Bulldogs welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide to town.

Mississippi State basketball suffered another loss to a top-10 team, but one of the positives that emerged was Josh Hubbard, who scored 38 points.

Alabama (18-3, 7-1 SEC) made 15 of 31 shots from behind the arc for a season-best 48.4 shooting percentage on 3-point shots. Its previous high was 44.4% against UNC Asheville (8-for-18) while the 15 made shots is second best behind the 19 (on 55 attempts) against South Dakota State.

Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell (22) moves past Mississippi State forward KeShawn Murphy (3) for a layup during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) AP

The Alabama Crimson Tide picked up an impressive road win Wednesday night, defeating Mississippi State in Starkville by a final score of 88-84.

Alabama guard Chris Youngblood led the the Crimson Tide past the Bulldogs 88-84 in front of a hostile Starkville crowd.