No. 20 Alabama kicked off their season with a commanding 96-74 victory over Sam Houston State on Tuesday night, and while London Jemison and Drew Fielder each dropped 15 points, it was the defense that really set the tone. Forget the scoreboard for a second, the Crimson Tide racked up a jaw-dropping 17 steals and 10 blocks, forcing Sam Houston into 23 turnovers. That’s how you get things done, even if the shots aren’t falling early!
Defense Creates Offense: A Crimson Tide Blueprint
Look, it wasn’t perfect from the jump. Alabama actually missed their first seven three-point attempts. Can you believe it? But instead of letting that get in their heads, they leaned into their defense, turning stops into buckets. Jemison was a beast in that first half, hitting all four of his shots, including two from deep, helping Alabama snatch a 40-29 lead going into halftime. It really shows you that even when a key player, like Aden Holloway who’s serving a five-game suspension, is out, the team can find a way. Sam Houston tried to hang tough, with Jacobe Coleman bagging 10 points and Zion Pipkin adding eight, but you could tell Alabama was building momentum.
Freshman Firepower and a Second-Half Surge
The second half was a different story entirely. Alabama exploded out of the locker room with a 9-2 run, and before Sam Houston could blink, the lead had stretched to a whopping 30 points thanks to Fielder’s layup with 12:40 left on the clock. Talk about stepping on the gas! Freshman Tarris Bouie absolutely balled out in his college debut, scoring 13 points, with six of those coming during that dominant second-half stretch. He even converted a three-point play and sank a contested three late in the shot clock, showing some serious clutch gene. And let’s not forget Jaxon Richardson, son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, who got the crowd on its feet with a first-half windmill dunk and threw down another slam as the game wound down. Justin Begg tried to spark Sam Houston with 13 points after halftime, and Pipkin ended up with 11 points, hitting 3 of 4 from downtown, but they just couldn’t keep pace. Amari Allen chipped in 12 for the Tide, showing off some deep bench talent.
What a way to kick off the season! No. 20 Alabama is hosting Arkansas State on Friday, looking to build on this defensive clinic. Sam Houston, meanwhile, will host Howard Payne on Saturday. It’s early days, but if this defense is a sign of things to come, opponents better be ready for a long night.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply