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Bama Basketball Falls To Xavier 64-45
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama men's basketball team lost their second game of the young season today falling to No. 23 Xavier 64-45 in the opening round of the AdvoCare Classic in Orlando, Florida. The Tide is now 2-2 on the season.
Following the game, Alabama head basketball coach Avery Johnson said, "Today’s game was a tale of two halves for us. I thought we were very competitive in the first half, thought
our defense was extremely good, we forced them into a low percentage
shooting from the field and the three-point line. We got in some early
foul trouble. They beat us up on the line in the first half. But with
all of that said, we go into the halftime down by three and we’re
feeling pretty good. They hurt us a little bit with their 1-3-1
half court trap, but we were still feeling pretty good, like we were in
the game. But it kind of fell apart for us in the second half. We turned
the ball over too much, didn’t shoot it as well. That’s what happens
against an experienced team that knows what they’re doing; they took
advantage of it."
Bama actually held the lead on the nationally-ranked Musketeers, as well as out rebounded them but Xavier quickly came back to take the lead. The score stood at 27-24 at the half, Alabama only down by three.
In just the opening 20 minutes or so of the contest the Crimson Tide and Musketeers combined for an unimpressive 17 turnovers. The shooting was terrible for both teams also, with only a 29 percent average between them.
Shannon Hale and Justin Coleman led Alabama with 10 points apiece. Leading the Tide in rebounds was Dazon Ingram with his game-high of nine boards, followed by Jimmie Taylor and Michael Kessens with five each. With his fourth consecutive game leading Bama in blocked shouts was Donta Hall with three.
Alabama will face the loser of the Southern California-Wichita State game. That one is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT and will air on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app.
Nick Saban's Radio Show Comments
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban conducted his weekly radio show on Wednesday night instead of Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. He commented on last week's contest with Charleston Southern as well as this week's Iron Bowl.
Saban was complimentary of Cyrus Jones for his performance in last week's game. He said the Tide worked hard in practice to prepare for the rugby-style punts utilized by Southern. The returners fielded grounded balls during practices to get ready.
Concerning the team as a whole and their work ethic and their unity, Saban said, "I've been pleased with the chemistry on this team."
With Auburn employing more than one quarterback in its offense, Saban was asked about preparation for the Tiger's offense. He responded that he thought Auburn's offensive approach is pretty much the same regardless of the quarterback leading the offense. He did say, however, he feels quarterback Jeremy Johnson is "getting better and better and better."
Concerning Auburn's defensive front, Saban said they are "very aggressive". He said it will be important to play well up front. Saban said that Auburn's front will "really attack the line of scrimmage."
When it comes to the discrepancy in the records of the two teams, Saban says that Auburn is a very capable team and that they have played better in recent weeks. Concerning Alabama's number two ranking, he says it is "just taking up space," and doesn't even matter if the Tide doesn't win.
Saban also said it was important to limit the running game Auburn employs. He said that Auburn is a very good running team. Saban also spoke of the number of plays the Tigers have made off of play-action passes.
The coach complimented center Ryan Kelly, saying that he has done a fantastic job in his position and as a leader of the offensive line.
Saban also warned that Auburn has absolutely nothing to lose in this game and everything to gain.
Tide Hard At Working Preparing For Tigers
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Crimson Tide football team was hard at it Thanksgiving-eve preparing for their trip to the Plains on Saturday to face the Tigers in the 2015 edition of The Iron Bowl. Alabama put in approximately two hours of practice Wednesday afternoon on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.
An early practice is scheduled for today in order to allow the players a little Thanksgiving holiday time with their families and friends before heading to Auburn on Friday for their Saturday matchup. This will be the 80th meeting between the two teams, with Alabama owning the series 43-35-1. Alabama defeated Auburn last year in Tuscaloosa, coming back from a 12-point first half deficit to win in a shootout 55-44. With that win Alabama captured the SEC West and went on to play for the Southeastern Conference Championship which they won. The same reward awaits should the Tide prove victorious this weekend.
The game will be nationally televised this Saturday by CBS. Verne Lundquist will be making the play-by-play calls, Gary Danielson will provide the color analysis and Allie LaForce will be working the sidelines.
Alabama Volleyball Falls 3-1
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
It was a match filled with Alabama errors (39) as a struggling Crimson Tide volleyball team fell in four sets at Foster Auditorium to an Ole Miss Rebel team capitalizing on those mistakes. Bama's lone set victory came in the second set 26-24.
Krystal Rivers led Alabama (16-15 overall, 10-7 SEC) with 25 kills. It was Natalie Murison leading the Tide defense with 23 digs.
Alabama will close out its regular season tomorrow in Tuscaloosa against the LSU Tigers (9-18 overall, 5-11 SEC).
Rivers & Hutson Named All-SEC In Volleyball
Graphic/Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Crimson Tide volleyball team has two of its members named to the All-Southeastern Conference team. Redshirt junior Krystal Rivers and sophomore Kat Hutson were both awarded the honor announced Wednesday by the SEC office.
This is the second-consecutive award for Hutson, and the third for Rivers. The Crimson Tide is one of five Southeastern Conference schools to place multiple members on the team this season.
Rivers leads the Tide with 410 kills, ranking third in the SEC. She has a career 1,402 kills, ranking sixth all-time at Alabama. Her .325 career hitting percentage places her fourth in the record book.
Hutson has 364 kills, ranking fourth in the SEC. She was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.
