Alabama
Stillman
Alabama Men's Basketball Rolls Past Stillman, 69-49
12/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama men's basketball team earned the 69-49 victory over Stillman on Friday evening inside Coleman Coliseum. The win moves the Crimson Tide to 7-3 on the season, including a perfect 6-0 record at home, while the Tigers fall to 4-4.
"It was good to get back on the court," said Alabama Head Coach Anthony Grant. "With the energy we got, we had a chance to play man, zone and press. The thing we always talk about as a team is trying to get better every time we step between the lines or practice our game. I felt like today gave us the opportunity to do that."
The Tide had five players score in double digits and had seven of its 10 participating players score at least two points. Freshmen Justin Coleman and Riley Norris contributed a career-high 14 and 13 points, respectively, to the Alabama total. Shannon Hale added 13 points and eight rebounds while fellow sophomore Jimmie Taylor scored 12 points and pulled down a team-high nine boards. Rounding out the double-digit scoring for Alabama was senior Levi Randolph who contributed 13 points - all of which came in the second half. Randolph has now scored at least 10 points in every game this season.
"We got a chance to play a lot of different people today in different positions, different roles, different lineups, so that was a great opportunity today," said Grant. "We elected to hold out Ricky Tarrant and Rodney Cooper tonight just from a rest standpoint, just to get them physically off their legs. I felt like that was the best thing for the team and nothing more than that. Overall, I thought our team did a good job and I'm pleased with the win."
Alabama would score eight unanswered points in the first half before Stillman sunk its first basket, as Alabama led 8-2 at the 15-minute mark. The Tide eventually extended the lead to double digits, moving up 17-7 off a Justin Coleman three-pointer at 9:36 and ended the first half with a 13-point lead, 34-21, shooting 35.7 percent from the field (10-28).
The Tide held the Tigers at arm's length early in the second half, outscoring Stillman 15-11 to take a 49-32 lead at the second media timeout. Levi Randolph, who went scoreless in the first half, scored 13 of the Tide's 35 second-half points as Alabama surged ahead to win, 69-49.
Junior Ricky Tarrant (12.7 ppg) and senior Rodney Cooper (12.3 ppg) did not play in Friday night's contest (coach's decision). The combo entered the game as the team's second and third-leading scorers, combining to average 25.0 ppg.
Alabama remains at home on Sunday, Dec. 21 for its final contest before the team breaks for the holiday. The Crimson Tide will host Appalachian State inside Coleman Coliseum with tip set for 5:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
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