BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama basketball outlasted Ole Miss 92-84 at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham on Thursday night. This was the second of the Crimson Tide’s three preseason exhibitions.
Amari Allen was Alabama’s only starter who held that same status in last week’s scrimmage. The rest of the lineup was filled with forwards standing between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-10. Height was a major emphasis for head coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide this offseason and it was on full display early against the Rebels.
Alabama held an 8-1 lead in offensive rebounds with about six minutes remaining in the first half, which created 10 second-chance points. Boise State transfer forward Drew Fielder led the way with five boards at the break. However, turnovers and some mediocre three-point shooting by UA kept Ole Miss well within the first half, as the Rebels closed the period on a 10-2 run.
Defending without fouling was also a struggle from the Tide early on, as the Rebels were in the double bonus with under six minutes remaining. Despite leading 24-14 on the glass, the 12 turnovers only gave Alabama a 42-39 lead at halftime.
Both teams came out firing in the second half, but Alabama was getting some stops too. The Crimson Tide held a 60-47 lead with 13:35 remaining, as it hit seven of the past nine field goal attempts while the Rebels were 0-for-5. Freshman Cole Cloer was Alabama’s ringleader in both the scoring and playmaking departments. He finished the night with 18 points.
Jamarion Davis-Fleming also played a major role in creating the separation. The sophomore transfer only recorded three games of 10-plus points at Mississippi State last year, but he reached double figures against Ole Miss well before the midpoint of the second half. Davis-Fleming was a spark on both ends of the floor and is someone to keep an eye on during the regular season.
Bad starts in the second half were one of Alabama’s main kryptonite from last season. Coming out hot in just the second time facing another program — let alone one from the SEC — is a promising sign.
Nevertheless, Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard and company didn’t let the Tide off that easy. Alabama took its foot off the gas a bit and the Rebels cut it within a couple of possessions. UA held an 86-83 lead with roughly two minutes ago and was able to hang on after Allen converted four consecutive free throws with under a minute to go — making him the scoring leader with 19 points.
As previously stated, Ole Miss was Alabama’s second scrimmage, with the first being a home win over Furman on Oct. 8 and the next coming against Auburn in Birmingham on Oct. 22.
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