FLORENCE – University of Alabama guard Mark Sears scored his 2,500th point in a win against Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. The Muscle Shoals native has scored 2,512 points in his five-year career.
Sears became the 82nd player in Division I history to top 2,500 career points as No. 4 Alabama beat Vanderbilt, 103-87.
He reached the milestone on a layup in the first half in front of a home crowd, which gave him a standing ovation. Sears started Tuesday night with 2,491 points. He finished the game with 21 points, including 10 free throws, seven assists, and no turnovers.
When asked about the accomplishment during the postgame news conference, Sears said, “I give all honor and glory to God and thank all the great teammates I’ve had. To get an ovation from the crowd and especially being from Alabama, it just means so much. Pouring in the hard work, (the milestone) has taken care of itself, and the game is showing respect back.”
Alabama head coach Nate Oats said, “On the offensive end, he’s been one of the most consistent guys I’ve ever coached. He’s the 82nd player to reach 2,500 points, so he’s in pretty good company. Congrats to Mark.
“He picked it up for us in the second half and we put the ball in his hands late. He’s a guy you can really trust on the offensive end, to make sure we get good points.”
The Crimson Tide faces LSU on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa. SEC Network will broadcast the game.
