Alabama’s exhibition against Auburn turned chippy fast, and then it turned into a game the Crimson Tide had to grind out.
What looked like a loose ball fight under the basket with Keitenn Bristow and Thomas Dowd spilled into a full-on scene Thursday in Birmingham. Teammates rushed in, Amari Allen got tangled up in it, Kevin Overton tried to pull him away, and then Alabama coach Nate Oats and Auburn coach Steven Pearl got involved after words were exchanged. Officials eventually sorted it out with two technical fouls apiece, two on each team, and the whole thing played out in front of a Legacy Arena crowd that was about 90% full.
That was only an exhibition. It still felt like something more.
Alabama finished with the win, 87-85, and the final minutes matched the noise in the building. Here are three things that stood out from the Tide’s third preseason exhibition.
Allen flipped the game in the second half
Amari Allen barely made a dent before halftime. Then he came out looking like a different player.
After putting up just five points, zero rebounds and one assist in the first half, he took over the final stretch. He knocked down a 3-pointer with about five minutes left, then immediately followed it by grabbing a defensive rebound to give Alabama the ball back.
That was the tone he set. Allen kept coming.
With 1:09 left and the score tied 80-80, he drove hard to the rim and completed a three-point play to put Alabama ahead 83-80. He crossed the 20-point mark on that sequence and finished with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and four steals.
The freshmen kept showing up
Alabama’s newcomers keep making a case that they’re not just depth pieces.
Qayden Samuels led the group, scoring 20 points with three 3-pointers, four rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes before fouling out. His biggest basket came on a drive that gave Alabama an 85-82 lead in the final minute.
Tarris Bouie added 14 points, seven rebounds and one assist, and he stayed in the mix all night as another freshman who looks ready to matter right away.
Jaxon Richardson made his preseason debut and played limited minutes, but the expectation is that more highlight moments are coming from one of the best athletes on the roster.
And Alabama still has Anderson Diaz waiting in the wings. He’s out for the time being with an injury, but the source material leaves no doubt he could become another impact option once he’s back.
The first half still had some rough edges
Even with the halftime lead, Alabama left points on the table before the break.
The Tide had trouble on the glass early, with Auburn winning the rebounding battle 27-22 in the first half. Alabama also struggled at the foul line, shooting just 56% there before halftime.
Still, the Crimson Tide carried a 44-41 lead into the locker room. That edge came in part from taking better care of the ball than it did in the exhibition against Ole Miss a week earlier, finishing the first half with six turnovers.
Alabama also made Auburn pay with second chances, piling up 16 second-chance points before halftime. Keitenn Bristow helped drive that effort off the bench, posting nine points, five rebounds and two blocks before the break.
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Alabama Showed Something Tide Fans Will Love In Auburn Clash
Alabama got a useful early test in Birmingham and passed it with a narrow 87-85 win over Auburn in an exhibition game at Legacy Arena. The Tide showed a balanced scoring punch, with four players reaching double figures and Amari Allen leading the way with 23 points, a sign of depth that should catch the attention of Alabama fans as the season approaches.
Auburn made it plenty uncomfortable, with Kevin Overton pouring in 26 points and the game turning chippy at times as the physicality ramped up. Tahaad Pettiford and Bukky Oboye both fouled out in the scuffle-filled matchup, leaving plenty to sort through for both sides, but Alabamas ability to answer in a game like this is exactly the kind of takeaway Tide supporters will like. [Read more 🡒]