Alabama Basketball: Shorthanded Crimson Tide take down Memphis 82-70
Despite losing a few key pieces before the game, Alabama pulled off a good win against the tough Memphis Tigers. Wins like this may prove that this program is turning the corner.
Coming into the game, Avery Johnson had a ton to deal with.
First off, Collin Sexton was suspended for this game due to his connections with people associated with the ongoing FBI probe into college basketballs bribery and corruption. Along with him, the leading scorer from a year ago, Braxton Key, is set to miss at least a month after undergoing knee surgery earlier this week. To top things off, ultimate utility player Riley Norris missed the game, still dealing with a previous hip injury.
So, of course, Alabama decided to get into foul trouble early with the limited depth. John Petty and Daniel Giddens both picked up two fouls in just the first five minutes. As a team, the Crimson Tide allowed Memphis to be in the bonus just eight minutes into the game. The Tigers led throughout most of the first half but struggled to extend the lead.
Unfortunately for Memphis, their inability to shoot jump shots caused major problems. Johnson used a 2-3 zone to dare Memphis to shoot it, which proved problematic. They went over eight minutes without hitting a field goal, which allowed Alabama to take the lead into halftime with the score of 38-36, despite committing 19 fouls.
The second half was all Alabama, who woke up offensively. Alabama continued to lock down the Tigers on defense, and, after a pair of threes by the coach’s son Avery Johnson Jr., the lead grew over double-digits, a deficit Memphis couldn’t overcome. The reserve guard Johnson had 13 points on 4-6 shooting. With so much missing, it was Dazon Ingram who stepped up the most, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
As for Memphis, the question coming into the season was going to be who’s going to lead the team in scoring or rather would it be a collective effort? The answer was a team effort, with six players scoring between 8-11 points. Jimario Rivers was the only one who did it efficiently, but drew his fourth foul with ten minutes left in the game, basically eliminating him from the fray.
Kyvon Davenport was the most impressive player for the Tigers in this game. he led the team with 13 points and nine rebounds but really made his presence felt defensively in the first half with some good plays. What doomed his team was the 2-16 distance shooting. If that doesn’t change, expect more zone from the opposition.
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After this game, both teams get to travel home this weekend for some easier match-ups. For Memphis, continued development with the new players will be key before they start conference play. As for the Tide, they need to get healthy quick and in a hurry. But all in all, this was a great opening day for Johnson and company.