No. 2 Alabama rolls UNC Asheville in season-opener
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 2 Alabama basketball opened the season with a resounding win, beating UNC Asheville 110-54 in an all-around strong team performance to move to 1-0 on the season.
The Crimson Tide brought typical starters Latrell Wrightsell and Grant Nelson off the bench, easing both back into the game. Alabama was without freshman Naas Cunningham and senior Houston Mallette, both of whom head coach Nate Oats announced will redshirt for the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Alabama opened the game on fire with a 9-0 start that got the Coleman Coliseum crowd fired up. The defense showed out early, racking up three blocks in the first few minutes of the game, and even forcing a shot clock violation.
The Bulldogs didn’t back down, making a small run to cut back into the lead, but then freshman Labaron Philon announced his arrival with a personal 6-0 run that included a steal off an inbounds pass, which gave even more life to the crowd.
The middle of the first half got sloppy, with three straight turnovers coming in a two minute span, which also coincided with a two-minute scoring drought. Multiple of those turnovers were obvious freshmen mistakes, but the lead never shrunk below 13 even in that drought.
They cleaned it up though to close out the half, going on a 13-2 run from the under-8 to the under-4 timeout, with Cliff Omoruyi establishing himself as a force in the paint. By halftime, the lead was 21, with the Crimson Tide leading 50-29.
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The second half didn’t open the way Alabama would have wanted, with both teams going back and forth to an 11-11 second half score at the first media timeout of the second half. Omoruyi and Mark Sears were the primary sources of Alabama’s offense, until a 7-0 run prompted an Asheville timeout as the lead started pushing 30 again.
The Crimson Tide continued to assert its dominance, extending its lead in a seemingly effortless manner. By the under-8 timeout, the lead was up to 40. Alabama broke 100 points at the 5-minute mark, and went on to win the game by 56.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
– Mark Sears: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
– Cliff Omoruyi: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
– Labaron Philon: 10 points, 7 assists
WHAT’S NEXT
Alabama hosts Arkansas State and former assistant coach Bryan Hodgson on Friday in Coleman Coliseum. The game tips at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
