On Tuesday, Alabama welcomed back former guard Mo Williams to Coleman Coliseum, not as a former player, but as the head coach of the opposing Jackson State Tigers. Williams’ return did not go as planned as his Tigers were eventually outmatched by the more talented Crimson Tide, 84-64.
While the scoreboard shows an Alabama blowout, the game was much closer than it should have been. The Tigers kept it close the entire first half, going into the locker room only down one point to No. 9 Alabama, but the Crimson Tide started the second half on a 14-4 run and never looked back.
Alabama’s Noah Clowney was held out of the game due to sickness and Noah Gurley was forced into the starting lineup to fill the shoes of the talented freshman Clowney. Gurley stepped right into the role and scored Alabama’s first four points of the game as part of his team-high 16 points. Four other Tide players finished in double figures. Mark Sears continued his hot shooting with 15 points, while Nick Pringle pitched in with a career-high 14 points and brought down nine rebounds.
Coming off a career-high 36-point game in a loss to Gonzaga Saturday, Brandon Miller was held to just 10 points, but pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds to record a double-double.
Turnovers continued to be a problem for the Crimson Tide, but despite 17 of them, they won the turnover battle 17-18. Alabama scored 27 points off those 18 forced turnovers.
Alabama will have a week off before they travel to Mississippi State on December 28 to begin SEC play in a top-25 matchup against the Bulldogs.
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