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Men's Basketball
Crimson Tide Makes It 3 In A Row
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Defeats Southern Miss 58-55
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Make it three-in-a-row!
The University of Alabama men's basketball team traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Friday and came away with its third consecutive win, defeating the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 58-55. While it definitely was a pretty win, the Crimson Tide improves to 5-2 on the year after their first true road test of the young season.
The Tide was led by senior Retin Obasohan with a season-high 20 points, five rebounds and three steals as the Golden Eagles were looking to break the Tide momentum. Arthur Edwards added 17 points to set a new career high for himself, hit on five of his eight three-point shots, and brought down five rebounds on the evening. Alabama's leading scorer, Shannon Hale, struggled on the evening but finished the night with nine points, hitting 3-of-10 from the floor. Justin Coleman added seven points, and Dazon Ingram put up five to round out the scoring.
Bama was never quite able to put away Southern Miss, with both teams having both scoring droughts and spurts. The Tide was in danger of letting the game get away from them in the final seconds, two missed three-pointers by the Golden Eagles gave Bama the three-point win.
Crimson Tide head coach Avery Johnson said, "You have to give credit to Southern Miss. They came out and hit some big-time shots. They started the game well and they really frustrated us defensively. In the second half, we took the momentum but we have to learn to finish games. In the end, I am proud of the way our guys came back from a tough first half and at the end of the day, we got the win on the road, so I am happy."
Johnson had some words of praise for Arthur Edwards, saying, "Arthur played great and was the player of the game for us. He and I had a heart to heart at halftime and he took it like a man. He came out and hit some clutch shots. I am proud of the way he played tonight."
The first six minutes of the game all the shots made were air-mailed in from points unknown. Southern Miss held a one-point lead at that point before the Tide began settling in and making some shots from inside the arc. The droughts and spurts began from early in the game, and while it looked as though the Tide would take a comfortable lead into the half, Southern Miss wound up with a 30-29 half time lead, which incidentally, was the first lead at half for the Golden Eagles this season.
Alabama has been outrebounded by seven or more in five of its first seven games this season.
Southern Miss led this one in rebounds 35-28. Obasohan and Edwards were the leading rebounders with five, followed by Jimmie Taylor hauling in four.
Both teams combined to hit 22 three-point baskets shooting 11-of-29.
The Tide was 72.2 percent on free throws, while the Golden Eagles hit 50.0 percent.
Maybe the game wasn't always "pretty as a picture". A win always is a thing of beauty.
Photo Credit. RollTide.com
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Kaylee Hartung Interviews Nick Saban
Kaylee Hartung of ESPN interviewed Alabama head football coach Nick Saban earlier today. She opened with the question of whether or not Alabama had a championship caliper defense.
Saban responded, "I think in every game you're challenged on defense by what the other team does, and Florida certainly has some really good players. Quarterback's very athletic...they've got really good skill guys, great running backs...so it's going to be a real key that we make those guys work for everything that they get and not give a lot of big plays up. So, to me you're only as good as your last play, you're only as good as your last game...so what we do in this game will determine how good we are."
Hartung asked, "And how will you attack Florida's formidable defense?"
Saban's answer was, "Well they have an outstanding defensive team too, probably one of the best in the country, so we're going to have to work hard on offense to be able to move the ball effectively against them. I think the key is you've got to do a really good job of executing and have balance on offense. Obviously you cannot turn the ball over against these guys...they feast on negative plays. I think if you can execute and get hat on hat, and not getting behind in the sticks, it certainly goes a long way in helping play well against them."
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College GameDay Discusses SEC Championship Game
Of course the fellas on GameDay were discussing the SEC Championship Game this morning. After all, that's what they do. Here are some of their comments:
Kirk Herbstreit: (on whether Florida has a chance to win) "Florida's defense gives them a chance in every game they play...but their offense...it's hard to imagine an offense that's one-dimensional moving the ball against that front seven from Alabama. Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, they're going to put everybody at the line of scrimmage and make Florida throw the football. Only chance Florida has, Dez, is they've got to get turnovers and they're got to score non-offensive touchdowns. If they do that...crazy things happen"
Desmond Howard: "We've seen Alabama self-destruct. Five turnovers against Ole Miss...they gave Ole Miss a very short field to work with. I think that's the only hope right now for Florida's offense...because Treon Harris and that offense, they can't go 80 yards or 70 yards with Alabama's defense to score points. They're going to have to work with a short field. It's going to be like you said."
Consensus among all present: Alabama wins.
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SEC Championship
Alabama's Nick Saban
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban has said more than once that this Florida defense would be the best defense Alabama has had to face this season. There should be no reason to doubt him.
The Florida Gators defense makes few mistakes, is tied fifth nationally in total defense, is seventh is rushing defense, is ninth is pass defense and is tied for fourth in total number of sacks. And they can keep teams from scoring, limiting their last 10 opponents to an average of only 14.9 points.
However, as of late, score 14.9 points in a game (if one could) and Alabama should win. The Florida offense has been woefully inadequate. Had it not been for a safety credited to the defense, the Gators would have been shut out by the Florida State Seminoles. But that was then and this is now.
This is the SEC. This is a matchup of the two teams with the most SEC Championship Game appearances in the league. Bama has 10, just one behind leader Florida at 11. This is for the pride of the SEC, as well as national placement. Florida wants a good bowl matchup. Bama wants the College Football Playoffs leading to a National Championship.
Of course Alabama has "The Beast" Derrick Henry who has proven to be very hard to stop. Henry has run for an average of 213 yards in Alabama's last five games against FBS schools. He has set records at the Capstone, and is expected to set more. He is even the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, and this week's performance would seal-the-deal for him with a good outing. But Henry isn't thinking about that. He's thinking about winning. That's why he will again strut his stuff.
The Tide faces the Gators in the SEC Championship Game this afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on CBS with Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce calling the action.
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Alabama Athletics
A.D. Bill Battle Speaks
From time to time I like to draw attention to the Director of Athletics at the University of Alabama, Bill Battle, and what he likes to share with the UA family. Just click the link RollTide.com and check out what he has to say.
