Alabama
9-2,0-0SEC
Jacksonville State
5-6,0-0ASUN
No. 6/8 Alabama Holds on to Defeat Jacksonville State, 65-59
12/18/2021 10:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Keon Ellis recorded game highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds to earn team-leading second double-double of the year
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 6/8 Alabama men's basketball team used a strong second half to push past in-state foe Jacksonville State, 65-59, Saturday night in Coleman Coliseum. The win improves the Crimson Tide to 9-2 on the year, while the Gamecocks fall to 5-6.
Senior guard Keon Ellis led the charge by collecting his second double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Jahvon Quinerly had 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half, to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Darius Miles came off the bench to add 10 points and seven boards while freshman Charles Bediako also had a solid all-around game with seven points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.
Head Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments
"That was a tough-fought game. I anticipated them playing hard – they caused us some problems, went on some runs and then it seemed like we didn't have the energy we needed at the end of the game. It is a good thing that we had Keon Ellis going, the rest of our guards really struggled. We have to do a better job bringing more of a defensive intensity. We did end up getting some stops and we were able to get out in transition. I think that the fast-break points were 19-2 in our favor, so it is a lot easier to get out in the break when you are getting stops. Our defense just has to improve, that is the bottom line. It was also a bad shooting night for us. We are going to have some of those but if you can win the glass and play better and harder on defense, then you can still win those types of games. They are a hard-playing group that makes tough shots and plays well, so you have to give them a lot of credit."
Team Stats
- With the victory, Alabama won its 16th consecutive home game and sixth win inside Coleman Coliseum this season
- Thanks in large part to Bediako's presence inside, Alabama led 8-3 in blocks and 19-2 in fast-break points
- The contest featured six lead changes and five ties, with the Tide holding its largest lead of 16 points (60-44) with just under five minutes remaining in the game
- The 59 points allowed by the Tide matched the fewest allowed in any game this season (59 scored by Oakland)
- Miles led all players with a +/- of +18 while Bediako earned the Hard Hat award
First Half
- After a dunk by Bediako opened the game, Ellis scored nine-straight points for the Crimson Tide to give UA an early edge (11-5)
- The Gamecocks rallied on the strength of a 15-2 run that extended over six minutes and moved Jacksonville State ahead 20-13 with 7:48 to play in the first, forcing an Alabama timeout
- The Tide closed the gap outscoring JSU 9-3, which included another five points from Ellis, as the team cut the lead to one (23-22) heading into the under four media timeout
- After JSU extended the lead back to six points at 28-22, a three-point buzzer beater from Jahvon Quinerly capped a 7-0 run to give Alabama the 29-28 lead heading into the break
- Ellis led the floor, scoring 14 points as he went 4-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc
- Alabama made 9-of-28 field goals, while Jacksonville State went 11-of-29 from the floor
Taking care of business ??#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/70wWNy6kur
— Alabama Men's Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) December 19, 2021
Second Half
- With JSU holding a 41-39 lead at the 11:37 mark, after a three-pointer from Miles sparked a 21-3 run, give the Tide its largest lead of the game at 60-44 with 4:49 remaining
- The Gamecocks would not go away, going on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to six with just under two minutes to play (62-56)
- However, the Crimson Tide would be too strong and held on for the victory
- Miles accounted for all of his points (10) and rebounds (7) over the final 20 minutes of the game
- Bediako recorded four of his five blocks in the half
Up Next
- The Crimson Tide will compete at the C. M. Newton Classic against Davidson at 6 p.m. CT at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Ala. The game will be made available on SEC Network+
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
