Forward Alex Poythress scored 25 points, guard Jamal Murray added 21 and Kentucky held Alabama to four points in the first five minutes as the No. 9 Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 77-61 on Saturday night at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The Wildcats never trailed in the game and the Crimson Tide were never closer than 15-13 after guard Justin Coleman sank a 3-point shot. Poythress and Murray scored the next 10 points as the Wildcats opened a double-digit lead.

Guard Isaiah Briscoe added 12 points for Kentucky (12-3, 2-1 SEC), which rebounded from an embarrassing 85-67 loss to LSU on Tuesday night.

Guard Retin Obasohan led Alabama (9-5, 0-2) with 21 points. The Crimson Tide were coming off an SEC-opening loss to Mississippi on Thursday.

Kentucky used it size advantage and athleticism to control the boards and outrebound Alabama 43-25. Forward Marcus Lee had 11 rebounds for the Wildcats, including five of the Wildcats' 14 offensive boards.

The Crimson Tide closed the first half on a 6-0 run in the final 46 seconds to pull within 10 as the Wildcats took a 38-28 lead.

Guard Arthur Edwards' 3-pointer gave the home crowd hope as Alabama sliced the Kentucky lead to 38-31 early in the second half. But Poythress, Lee and Briscoe had an answer each time the Crimson Tide tried to make a surge.

Briscoe scored all 12 of his points in the second half.

Kentucky held Alabama to 34.6 percent shooting (18 of 52) from the field. The Wildcats shot 54.9 percent (28 of 51).