Alabama coach Nate Oats apologized for shoving Missouri forward Aidan Shaw during a Tuesday night skirmish.
Alabama guard Aaron Estrada fouled Missouri's Anthony Robinson after a rebound midway during the first half of their 93-75 triumph at Coleman Coliseum.
Estrada and Robinson momentarily wrestled in front of the Alabama bench, but officials swiftly separated them. Shaw rushed in to face Estrada.
As officials resolved the conflict, Oats rushed into the melee and shoved Shaw in the chest, pointing at the Missouri bench and yelling at him.
The mishap did not cost Oats. After the game, he apologized to Missouri coach Dennis Gates and Shaw.
The game concluded normally, and Oats and Gates shook hands on the court. At halftime, the Crimson Tide led by two points, but in the last minutes, they won 18 points in Tuscaloosa. Rylan Griffen scored 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Estrada had 21 points and eight rebounds.
Gates said Oats apologized to him after the game, but he didn't understand why he wasn't called for a technical foul for the shove. If it been anybody else, he said, it would have been automatic.
In his sixth season at Alabama, Oats guided the team to an SEC regular season and tournament victory last spring. Tuesday's win was Alabama's sixth consecutive, improving its season record to 12-5. Alabama plays No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday before hosting No. 13 Auburn next week.