Alabama
5-5
Clemson
8-2
Men’s Basketball Falls to Clemson, 67-54, in 2016 BBVA Compass Vulcan Classic
12/18/2016 5:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sophomore Avery Johnson Jr. led the Tide with a career-high 17 points in losing effort
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team dropped a 67-54 contest to Clemson in the BBVA Compass Vulcan Classic at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday afternoon. The Tide falls to 5-5 with the loss, while the Tigers improve to 8-2 on the year.
"I thought we had way too many turnovers," head coach Avery Johnson. "We were competitive in the first half, but offensively – whether it's a missed shot, a careless pass, a wasted possession – something we've been talking a lot about but just didn't carry over from practice and our video session. In the second half, we had a little bit more energy. We're just not getting enough guys in double figures. We'll keep working on it; I thought our guys showed some fight in the second half."
Sophomore Avery Johnson Jr. scored a career-high 17 points off the bench and went 5-of-11 from field. Senior Shannon Hale added eight points and sophomore Donta Hall grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
Alabama started the game with six straight points to take an early lead, but quickly saw it disappear as Clemson used a 22-3 run over 7:47 to take a 22-9 lead with 8:16left in the first half. Alabama turned the ball over five times during the Tigers' run and was just 1-of-11 from the field. The Tide failed to make a field goal for just under 11 minutes while Clemson pulled away, thanks in large part to a 15-0 run during that span.
Alabama finished the first half trailing 31-19 after shooting just 26 percent from the field compared to Clemson's 42 percent. The Tigers scored 13 points off 12 Crimson Tide turnovers, but Alabama outrebounded the Tigers at intermission, 22-17.
The Tide chipped away at the Tigers' lead during the second half, using an 8-0 run to come within 10 points at the 11:21 mark, trailing 43-33. However, Clemson responded with back-to-back threes on consecutive possessions to stretch its lead back to 16, 49-33, with 10:16 left.
Alabama continued to push back and brought the score within nine, down 57-48, with just over two minutes left in the game. But that's as close as Alabama would come as the Tigers outpaced the Tide 10-6 down the stretch to result in the final score.
Alabama was outscored in the second period, 36-35, and went 10-of-27 from the field.
For the game, the Tide bench outscored its counterparts, 34-23. Alabama outrebounded Clemson 37-32 but committed 16 turnovers compared to just 11 for Clemson. As a result, the Tigers outscored the Tide in points off turnovers, 19-12.
Shelton Mitchell led Clemson with a game-high 18 points and added five rebounds. Gabe DeVoe added 11 points and a game-high four assists.
Alabama is back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 21 when the Tide takes on Arkansas State in the Rocket City Classic at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m., with the game airing on SEC Network.
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