Alabama scored 48 second half points en route to an 86-64 defeat of the Lipscomb Bisons on Tuesday night at Coleman Coliseum.
Collin Sexton returned from a one-game suspension to make his Crimson Tide debut, and he did not disappoint.
Alabama and Lipscomb exchanged leads throughout the first 10 minutes of the contest. Both teams struggled to get stops as the Tide and Bisons traded buckets for much of the first half.
Alabama was able to extend the lead to seven and carried a 38-31 advantage into halftime behind nine points each from Sexton and Avery Johnson Jr.
In the second half, poor free throw shooting and sloppy play from the Tide allowed Lipscomb to cut the lead to a single point, but the Bisons would never reclaim the lead.
Alabama proceeded to go a big run led by their two freshman guards in Sexton and John Petty, with Sexton controlling the pace and Petty knocking down a couple threes which provided a spark for the Crimson Tide offense.
The impressive scoring run, along with some monster blocks from Donta Hall, got the crowd on its feet as Alabama pulled away. The run was punctuated by Hall’s huge slam, set up by a nifty no-look pass from Sexton.
Lipscomb never recovered as the Tide cruised to a 22-point win.
Sexton was the game’s leading scorer, as he poured in 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting in his first game in an Alabama uniform. He also added five assists.
The Crimson Tide offense was also aided by 14 points from Petty and 13 points from Dazon Ingram. Hall put together another quality performance, scoring 10 points and grabbing five boards to go along with three blocks.
Garrison Mathews, who entered the game averaging 31 points per game on 53 percent from beyond-the-arc, tallied 15 points for Lipscomb.
Analysis
The stat that stood out the most in this game is one that is all too familiar for Alabama fans.
The Crimson Tide shot a dreadful 12 of 32 (37.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Alabama cannot have these showings from the stripe against tougher opponents, as it could be the difference in a win or a loss.
There is reason for optimism, however. Sexton went 5 of 12 from the line, which is uncharacteristic of the young guard. Sexton made upwards of 90 percent of his foul shots in his senior season and on the AAU circuit.
As for the positives, Alabama looked like a rather efficient offensive team. The Tide shot an impressive 60 percent from the floor and scored 50 of its 86 points in the paint.
Sexton’s insertion in the lineup resulted in the Crimson Tide playing at a much faster pace. He displayed his dazzling speed and quickly pushed the ball up the court at every opportunity.
The team will grow more accustomed to Sexton’s game and will be even more exciting to watch as they progress as a unit.
Ingram followed up his tremendous game against Memphis with an efficient and complete showing. He made 6 of his 8 shots for 13 points, while pulling down seven boards and dishing out five assists. He will continue to be an integral part of this team’s success as the only non-freshman starter in the backcourt.
Alex Reese duplicated his nine-rebound performance from last Friday, including two offensive boards. Reese’s freshman counterpart, Herbert Jones, once again showed flashes of great potential, with his length causing problems for the Lipscomb offense.
All in all, this was a solid win for the Crimson Tide against a formidable Lipscomb team that figures to be an Atlantic Sun title contender.
Alabama should keep the momentum going against Alabama A&M on Friday, the Tide’s last game before heading to Brooklyn for the Barclays Classic.