Alabama edged Auburn 44-41 in Thursday night’s exhibition in Birmingham, giving this rivalry an early basketball twist before SEC play even gets going.
The Crimson Tide built their small halftime cushion behind a balanced first-half effort, with several contributors making an impact. Qayden Samuels led Alabama with 14 points, hitting 4 of 11 shots and going 2 for 7 from beyond the arc while adding two assists.
Keitenn Bristow supplied 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks, and Tarris Bouie filled the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, two steals and a block. Brandon Garrison added six points and three rebounds, while Amari Allen contributed three points, three steals and an assist.
Alabama also got four points from Drew Fielder and three from Amari Allen, while Jamarion Davis-Fleming, London Jemison, TJ St. Louis and Jaxon Richardson were scoreless.
Auburn stayed close thanks to a steady scoring spread of its own. Kevin Overton finished with eight points and two assists, Caleb Williams scored seven, and Tahaad Pettiford added six points and two rebounds.
Narcisse Ngoy was efficient with eight points on 3-for-3 shooting, and Bukky Oboye posted six points and six rebounds. Thomas Dowd did the dirty work defensively, collecting five rebounds, two steals and two blocks despite not scoring.
The Tigers also got three points apiece from Blake Muschalek and Adam Olsen. George Kimble III and Dowd were among the Auburn players who helped keep the game tight, but Alabama’s early edge held through the first half.
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The Aggies bring a few players worth watching as they try to make this a real threat, including freshman running back KJ Edwards, edge rusher Keelon Russell and kicker David Olano. If Texas A&M can get meaningful production from that group, Alabama may have more on its hands than a routine home game, with kickoff set for Saturday at 2:30 on ABC. [Read more 🡒]