TUSCALOOSA ?? The University of Alabama’s Mikhail Torrance scored 16 points and his Crimson Tide teammate scored 11 points and had seven rebounds, but their combo wasn’t enough. Playing for Reach USA, the Tide duo were handed their first loss in five games when Reach USA fell 79-76 to Zhe Jiang, a team that finished fourth in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Torrance and Jemison are part of an eight man team, six of them from the Southeastern Conference, currently playing basketball on a cultural exchange tour in China. They’ll have played eight games within 10 days by the time the trip is over. Reach USA was 4-0 after a win on Monday. The team took Tuesday off then played Zhe Jiang on Wednesday in a game that found them down 11 points in the first half only to come back and take a 10 point lead by the start of the fourth period. The Chinese team took advantage of the toll playing so many games in such a short period of time has taken on the Reach USA team and took a one point lead with 45 seconds remaining in the game. Reach USA missed some 3-point shots in the last 20 seconds, allowing the Chinese team to preserve the win. Zhe Jiang made 12 3-point shots in the game. These teams are playing a best of four series, so three games remain.
Torrance and Auburn’s Quan Prowell led Reach USA in the game in scoring with 16 points. Torrance, who came off the bench as the team alternates its starting lineups, was 7 of 13 from the field, making one of two 3-point shots attempted. In five games on the tour Torrance is averaging 14.0 points and 5.6 assists. Jemison scored 11 points and had 7 rebounds on Wednesday before fouled out. He is averaging 17.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in his five games. He started on Wednesday.
