Alabama
Oregon
Tide Falls To Oregon in Maui Opener
11/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2008
Lahaina, Hawaii - The Oregon Ducks defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide, 92-69, in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational in men's basketball action Monday night before a sellout crowd of 2,400 at the Lahaina Civic Center in downtown Lahaina on the island of Maui.
Guard Senario Hillman scored a career-high 16 points to lead the Tide while senior guard Ronald Steele added 13 points. Michael Dunigan led Oregon with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Joevan Catron added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Ducks.
With the result, Alabama falls to 1-2 on the season, while Oregon improves to 3-1 overall. Alabama returns to action Tuesday at 3 p.m. Central Time (11 a.m. in Hawai'i) against tournament host Chaminade, a 115-70 loser to North Carolina in the first round Monday night. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
POST-GAME NOTES
Tide Rolled Early
Alabama got off to a quick start against Oregon, taking an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes of play and leading 10-3 at the first media timeout (15:55 of the first half). JaMychal Green (four points and three rebounds) keyed the early surge, but also collected two personal fouls in the first 4:05 of action. After Green sat due to fouls, Senario Hillman heated up, scoring seven points while hitting 3 of his first 4 shots from the field, including a three-pointer that gave the Tide a 17-11 lead at 11:43 of the first half.
Hillman Has Career Night
Sophomore guard Senario Hillman entered the Oregon game with a career-best scoring game of 13 points set last season at Mississippi (March 1, 2008). Hillman scored 16 points tonight to lead all Alabama scorers.
Alabama vs. Oregon: The Series
With the loss, Alabama and Oregon have split their two meetings in basketball. In the only previous meeting, Alabama had an 87-86 win over the Ducks in the 2003 Las Vegas Showdown on Dec. 20, 2003.
Alabama vs. Pac-10 Opponents
After the loss to Oregon, Alabama owns a 16-6 record against the Pacific 10 Conference, including wins over a pair of No. 1-ranked teams. The Crimson Tide upset No. 1 UCLA, 70-67, at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 28, 1983. Alabama also beat No. 1 Stanford, 70-67, on March 20, 2004, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Alabama's first NCAA Tournament game came against Arizona State in 1975.
Tide in the Islands
With the loss to Oregon, the Crimson Tide has posted an 8-2 record in its 10 games in the islands, winning the 1987 Hawai'i Pacific Thanksgiving Tournament Championship and the 1991 Rainbow Classic Championship. Alabama is making its fourth appearance in the state of Hawai'i as the Crimson Tide plays in the 25th annual EA Sports Maui Invitational on Maui.
Alabama in Regular Season Tournament Play
With the loss, Alabama has compiled a 116-74 (.611) all-time record in regular season tournament play. The 2008 EA Sports Maui Invitational is the Crimson Tide's 86th in-season tournament, dating back to its first tournament experience at the 1947-48 All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Crimson Tide's record only includes tournament play and not a one-game event. Alabama has won 29 tournament championships, including two under coach Mark Gottfried.
Gottfried's Teams In Tournament Play
Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried has compiled a 24-10 (.706) record in tournament play during his career at Murray State and Alabama. He is 19-8 (.704) at Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to three championships in eight appearances. The 19 wins are third to Wimp Sanderson (31) and C.M. Newton (23) on the school's tournament win list. Gottfried has led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back tournament championships with wins at the 2006-07 Paradise Jam and the 2007-08 Las Vegas Classic. Gottfried was 5-2 (.714) in tournament play at Murray State.
Next Game
Alabama will face Chaminade in the second round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The game is scheduled to be played at 3 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, November 25. ESPN2 will televise the game nationally.
