Grant Nelson had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 4 Alabama beat No. 8 Kentucky 102-97 on Saturday in a matchup of two of the top offensive teams in the country.

Nelson was 7 for 13 from the field and 9 for 10 at the line. He scored a total of 21 points in his previous three games.

Mark Sears scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half for Alabama (15-3, 4-1 SEC), which had five players score in double figures.

Kentucky (14-4, 3-2) had won two in a row since an 82-69 loss at Georgia. Otega Oweh had 21 points for the Wildcats, and Lamont Butler finished with 17 points and eight assists. Kentucky grabbed a 56-52 lead on Brandon Garrison’s dunk with 16:13 left. But Alabama responded with a 14-2 run.

Tahaad Pettiford hit 5 of 7 shots from 3-point range, scoring 24 off the bench to help No. 1 Auburn escape No. 23 Georgia with a 70-68 win on Saturday. Auburn (17-1, 5-0 SEC) has won 10 in a row and a second straight game without star Johni Broome, who injured his ankle in a Jan. 11 win over South Carolina. ... Hunter Dickinson had 25 points and Zeke Mayo scored 24 to lead No. 9 Kansas over Kansas State 84-74 on Saturday.

NFL: The Cowboys interviewed former Jets coach Robert Saleh on Saturday, another step in the search to replace Mike McCarthy. The in-person interview with Saleh came a day after the Cowboys held a virtual interview with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Golf: Daniel Hillier birdied the final two holes to shoot 2-under 70 on Saturday and take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic as the No. 223-ranked New Zealander goes for the biggest win of his career.

Soccer: Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who retired from the U.S. national team late last year after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.