No. 22 Alabama Too Much For Men’s Basketball

Friday, November 17

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

8 p.m.

Mercer University

1-3,0-0SoCon

Alabama

4-0,0-0SEC

Mercer

Alabama

No. 22 Alabama Too Much For Men’s Basketball

11/17/2023 11:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Undefeated and 22^nd-ranked Alabama shot 80 percent from the field in the first half on the way to building a big halftime lead, and then hit cruise control on the way to a 98-67 win over the visiting Mercer men's basketball team on Friday evening in Coleman Coliseum.

The setback marked the second-straight road loss for the Bears (1-3) who will now get a week off from competition before resuming play on November 24 against Tennessee State in Destin, Fla. Alabama (4-0) stretched its home win streak out to 19 games with Friday's victory, but were held under the 100-point plateau for the first time this season as well. The contest was the first of three games in the Emerald Coast Classic which will continue the day after Thanksgiving in Destin, Fla.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Alabama 98, Mercer 67
RECORDS: Mercer (1-3, 0-0 SoCon); Alabama (4-0, 0-0 SEC)
LOCATION: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Coleman Coliseum)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

Three free throws by Robby Carmody were the only points the Bears could put up until Amanze Ngumezi added another at 16:20 to make the score 13-4. Alabama shot 80 percent from the field, including a 75 percent clip from three, which allowed it to coast into the under-eight media timeout with a 35-18 lead. Mercer showed signs of life in big threes by Caleb Hunter and Michael Zanoni, as well as a steal and dunk by Jalyn McCreary, but Alabama put together runs of 12-0 and 14-3 to take a 56-29 lead into the halftime break.

2ND HALF

Mercer shot nearly 46 percent from the field in the second half and played near-even with Alabama in the stanza as well. The Crimson Tide led by as many as 37 points, 90-53, after a layup from former Wofford standout Nick Pringle with just less than five minutes left, but the hosts went without a field goal for the final 2-1/2 minutes of the evening as the Bears closed out the game with a 14-8 advantage on the scoreboard.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Redshirt senior Jalyn McCreary led the team in scoring with 17, putting him in double-digits for all four games this season. He also added a team-high eight rebounds.
+ Graduate transfer Amanze Ngumezi chipped in 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including eight points in the opening stanza.
+ Freshman Anthony Benard logged 19 minutes on the court and shot 75 percent from the floor for six points and led the Bears in assists with four.

NOTABLES

+ Alabama made their first nine shots, with its first miss not coming until 14:32 on the clock.
+ Mercer became the first team this season to hold Alabama to less than 100 points. The Crimson Tide came into the contest averaging 103.0 points per game (4^th NCAA).
+ The Crimson Tide outscored the Bears, 56-29, in the first half, but the hosts outscored Mercer by just four points, 42-38, in the second period.
+ Mercer has now split the last four games with Alabama in Coleman Coliseum. The Bears had captured two of the last three with the Crimson Tide heading into the weekend, including a 66-59 triumph on their last trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., in 2012.

UP NEXT

The Bears will play Tennessee State on November 24 at noon, continuing the Emerald Coast Classic which concludes next weekend (Nov. 24-25) in Destin, Fla.

STAY CONNECTED

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BACK THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.