Mark Sears' camp hasn't stayed silent after a quiet night for the All-American as Alabama basketball faced LSU on Saturday.
The Muscle Shoals, AL native's mom, Lameka, took to Facebook after Nate Oats shocked college hoops by benching Sears for the second half against the Tigers, resulting in his second scoreless performance of the season.
"In the face of a humiliating environment, I'm grateful for the happy moments we've captured," Lameka wrote on Sunday morning.
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In 17 minutes, Sears was 0-for-5 from the floor. Teammate Chris Youngblood called Sears' sidelining a "coaches decision" and Oats was mum about the reasoning behind his choice beyond putting the guys who gave Alabama its best chance to win on the floor.
During non-conference play, Alabama didn't struggle as much despite Sears' scoreless 21 minutes against Illinois, hanging a hundred on the Fighting Illini. So much wasn't the case against LSU, but the Crimson Tide held on nonetheless.
Even with zero points against LSU, Sears still leads the SEC in scoring with 361 this season.
"Enough is enough! May Mark's character and hard work shine through, proving his work," Lameka continued. "To the enemy: you can't box with God!"
A couple hours later came a thank you message from Lameka to 3-time Super Bowl champion and Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, who gave words of encouragement to Sears in a 17-second video alongside the Alabama senior's cousin Nicole Brown.
Smith told Sears to "stay the course."
"Keep believing in yourself. Put in that extra work and allow the Lord to open up doors for you," Smith said. "It'll lead you in the way that you should go."
Lameka called it "inspiring" to see legends like Smith carving out the time to "uplift and encourage the next generation," adding that Mark was at the gym "putting in the work" as she typed her post.
"Just continue to work," Smith said. "Don't give up on yourself."
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Mark Sears' family reacts after benching for Alabama basketball vs LSU
