Alabama
Mississippi
Men's Basketball Beats Ole Miss, 76-73
1/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2009
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama basketball team (12-6, 2-2 SEC) defeated Mississippi (10-8, 1-3 SEC) 76-73 in hard fought contest here in Coleman Coliseum Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide recorded one of its best shooting nights of the year, knocking down 55 percent (28-51) of its field goal attempts on the night.
While the Tide had a stellar night shooting the ball, the difference came on the defensive end where Alabama came up with two crucial stops in the final minute to preserve its lead. Sophomore Senario Hillman sank two clutch free throws with 2.1 seconds left to force Ole Miss to attempt a desperation half-court shot that came up short as time expired.
"I am proud of our players," head coach Mark Gottfried said. "That was a gutsy, tough and hard win. They played extremely hard, and I am proud of them. We stepped up and made some big plays at key times."
Junior guard Mikhail Torrance led the Tide in scoring with 24, finishing with more than 20 points for the third straight game. Senior Alonzo Gee bounced back from a difficult first half with a near perfect second frame, going 5-5 from the field and scoring 13 of his 15 points after intermission. Gee also grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
"Mikhail is taking advantage of a great opportunity," Gottfried said. "He stepped up and made some big three-point shots. He made five three's tonight and made some huge ones in the second half. He's got great courage, and he is not afraid. I'm really proud of him."
Hillman added 12 points and a career-high six assists. Freshman JaMychal Green also contributed 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field. Junior Yamene Coleman gave the Tide a spark on the defensive end with a career-high four steals.
Ole Miss shot 45 percent (28-63) on the game and kept things close by knocking down 10-22 shots from behind the three-point arc. The Tide out-rebounded the Rebels by one, 32-31, and the teams were dead even in turnovers with 12 each.
Alabama held a narrow 39-38 lead after a hotly contested first half that featured three ties and three lead changes. Torrance scored 16 points before the break to lead the Tide while Ole Miss guard David Huertas poured in 20 points in the first frame to keep the Rebels close.
Huertas led the Rebels in scoring and rebounding with 26 points and eight boards. Terrico White chipped in 14 points, six assists and five rebounds for Ole Miss.
Alabama stays home for its next contest as the Kentucky Wildcats come to Coleman Coliseum for a clash on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.
