No. 11 Alabama traveled to Illinois to face a third straight top 10 team and walked away from the game with a 90-86 win over No. 8 Illinois.
The Fighting Illini led the game for the entire first half and briefly into the second half before the Crimson Tide finally took the lead and never gave it back. The win for Alabama moves the Tide to 3-1 on the season with two top-10 wins under their belt.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Bama Battles In the Paint
Alabama got dominated inside the paint and on the boards in their previous game. On Wednesday, the Crimson Tide were once again undersized but held their own down low. Alabama lost the rebound battle 40-38, but it was a performance that Nate Oats would be satisfied with, considering the size disadvantage. The Crimson Tide found success inside the paint when the three-point shots weren’t falling, scoring 30 points in the paint.
- Bristow Back From Injury
Keitenn Bristow got his first action with the Crimson Tide on Wednesday night after battling injury early in the season. Bristow was not a full 100%, according to Nate Oats, but was able to provide some meaningful minutes for Alabama off the bench. Along with 10 points and eight rebounds, Bristow provided size and intensity on the defensive end.
- Big Second Half for Philon
Labaron Philon was unable to find much rhythm in the first half of the game, scoring just five points in the first 20 minutes. In the second half, Philon started to hit his stride, driving the ball to the basket with success, using his speed to get around the taller but slower defenders. Philon finished with a team-high 24 points, including 19 in the second half, which helped Alabama to victory.
- Big Contribution From the Bench
The Alabama bench chipped in a season high 32 points on Wednesday to help lead the Crimson Tide to a big win. Houston Mallette and Keitenn Bristow led all bench players with 10 points apiece. Amari Allen added nine points off the bench, including a team-high 11 rebounds, before fouling out late in the second half.
Alabama will travel to Las Vegas on Monday to face Gonzaga in its first game in the Players Era Festival at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on TNT.
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