TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Earnest Shelton and a suffocating Alabama defense turned a marquee showdown into a monumental mismatch.
Shelton scored a career-high 34 points and the 22nd-ranked Crimson Tide held No. 17 Mississippi State without a field goal for nearly 15 minutes of the first half in a 98-49 victory Tuesday night, the Bulldogs' worst loss in almost 12 years.
"I don't know if anybody would beat Alabama tonight the way they were shooting the basketball," Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury said.
The Tide (14-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) allowed just three field goals in the first half for a 49-18 lead, shutting down the Bulldogs' backcourt and denying star Lawrence Roberts uncontested shots at the basket.
So much for a showdown to see who was the best in the SEC West. Instead, it was only close for about five minutes and both coaches were left trying to make sure their players didn't read too much into it.
"When we go home, it's one win in the league," Alabama's Mark Gottfried said. "That's all it counts for. You just kind of take it for what it's worth."
The 49-point final deficit was the worst for the Bulldogs (15-4, 3-2) since a 115-58 loss to Arkansas on Feb. 20, 1993. Overall, it tied for their third-worst defeat ever.
They trailed just 9-8 early but went 14:33 without a field goal before Roberts banked one in with just more than a minute left in the first half. They shot 3-of-20 in the half. Mississippi State, which fell to 1-2 since second-leading scorer Winsome Frazier was lost to a broken foot, has dropped two straight road games since winning 16 in a row.
"We didn't come out on defense," said point guard Gary Ervin, who had four turnovers and only one assist. "They set the tone, came out and made some shots. After that it just felt like a video game - everything they threw up was going in."
Without Frazier, the Bulldogs had no answer for Shelton, Kennedy Winston (24 points) or Ronald Steele (10 assists).
With 23 points, Shelton outscored the Bulldogs by himself in their lowest-scoring first half of the season. He scored 14 consecutive points during one stretch, including four of his five first-half 3-pointers. The half ended fittingly, with Winston draining a 26-footer at the buzzer.
"Everything I threw up went in," Shelton said. "I can't describe it. Sometimes when I came off a screen I was just throwing the ball up without getting my feet squared to the basket."
Who cares about perfect form when you're that hot?
Asked if he's ever had a streak like that, Shelton replied: "Not since I've been at the University of Alabama."
Mississippi State couldn't even do what it normally does better than anybody in the league: rebound and defend against opposing shooters. Alabama hit 57 percent of its shots and dominated the boards 38-25.
"It's very special to get a win like this," said Chuck Davis, who had 14 points and helped contain Roberts inside. "We played so well and they probably played one of their worst games."
Shelton made 13 of 22 shots, only four fewer than the Bulldogs.
Roberts had a terse answer when asked if there was anything Mississippi State could have done to stop Shelton.
"Put a hand in his face and do a better job denying him the ball," said Roberts, who had 19 points and seven rebounds but hit only two field goals in the first half.
Winston made four of six 3-pointers while Steele had half of Alabama's 20 assists and the Tide hit 12 of 25 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs missed on all 11 3-point attempts and shot just 36 percent overall, with nobody hitting outside shots to open up any opportunities for Roberts inside. Normally reliable guard Shane Power was 0-of-6 shooting and didn't score.
The game didn't come close to living up to its recent history. The previous five meetings were decided by a collective 18 points.
The Bulldogs have lost all three games against ranked opponents.
Ervin said he won't soon forget this game -- and doesn't want to.
"I'm going to watch (the film) all the time," he said. "I want to keep this in my head for the rest of the season. I've never gotten beat like this in my life."
