Valentine
Pregame: This sports writer is excited. I just walked past the single greatest referee in all of college basketball. That’s right, Ted Valentine is in the house to add some spice to the dull atmosphere inside Coleman Coliseum.
The crowd must a very late arriving one or invisible. I wonder if yesterday’s football game took any of the Crimson Tide spirit out of anyone thinking of attending this afternoon. Either way, they’re about to tip off. Keep it here for all the updates you care to read.
First half
15:59, Alabama 11, A&M 7: Senario Hillman has five straight points and Chris Hines has four. Nothing too exciting to report just yet.
11:59, Alabama 17, A&M 9: The Tide just scored two baskets off turnovers in less than 10 seconds to take the nine-point advantage. Hillman now has seven points.
7:59, Alabama 25, A&M 9: Alabama has outscored the guests 20-4 since the game was tied at 5-5. That includes scoring the last 14 points of the game. Charvez Davis make a pair of 3-pointers to put the Tide up 16. The visitors already have nine turnovers.
2:04, Alabama 38, A&M 19: The Bulldogs didn’t make a field goal in more than 12 minutes before Casey Cantey banked a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Hillman has 11 to lead Alabama.
Halftime: Alabama 38, A&M 21: It wasn’t a cleanly played 20 minutes. The two combined to commit 27 turnovers with the Bulldogs leading the way at 15. The Tide outscored them 20-6 in the paint despite playing without the suspended JaMychal Green. Senario Hillman has 11 points to lead the team.
Second half
15:31, Alabama 44, A&M 21: The Tide have scored all six points of the half with Charles Hankerson, Tony Mitchell and Chris Hines each making a field goal. The last two were dunks.
11:27, Alabama 54, A&M 26: The Bulldogs went another 8 minutes without scoring and is shooting 25.7 percent range from the field. Hillman has 15. This one can’t end soon enough.
7:10, Alabama 65, A&M 36: This one is almost over. Mercy. The Bulldogs stepped up the scoring but still trail by 29.
2:50, Alabama 71, A&M 45: The Bulldogs scored 11 straight points with nine coming on back-to-back-to-back made 3-pointers by Cornelius Hester. The deficit was still 20 and it widened again after that.
Final Alabama 76, A&M 50
It’s over and Alabama’s record is back to 3-3 and the three game losing streak is over. There isn’t a whole lot to say about this one, but I will still manage a game story for Sunday’s paper. Check that out in the morning.
