Alabama Basketball edges Memphis in Coleman Coliseum

The 4th-ranked Alabama basketball team improved to 9-1 with a hard-fought 91-88 win over a good Memphis team on Tuesday night. It was another challenging contest for the Crimson Tide, but this young squad continues to answer the bell. The Tide maintained its focus in what could’ve been a letdown spot, and beat yet another quality opponent.

Alabama overcame a sloppy start and 17 total turnovers to eventually take control of the game. The Tide out-rebounded the Tigers 42-39, shot the ball well (10-27 from three-point range), and recorded 17 assists on 26 made field goals.

Memphis hit just one three-pointer all night, but got a valiant 30-point effort from point guard Kendric Davis. Alabama felt the absence of Nimari Burnett, a lockdown perimeter defender who is sidelined with a wrist injury. In his place, freshman guard Jaden Bradley drew the difficult assignment of guarding Davis. Bradley did a pretty good job defensively, but he could only slow down the reigning AAC Player of the Year.

Alabama basketball got a huge bounce-back game from star freshman Brandon Miller, who finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Miller hit some huge shots in the second half to keep a surging Memphis team at bay. Fellow freshmen Noah Clowney and Jaden Bradley played major roles in the win as well. Clowney owned the paint, notching 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Bradley scored 10 points, dished out five assists, and helped to set the tone defensively for the Crimson Tide.

Jahvon Quinerly had another rough outing, shooting just 2-9 from the field. The all-conference guard finished with seven points and five assists. Mark Sears picked up some of the slack in the backcourt, pouring in 18 points on just six field goal attempts.

Another bright spot for the Crimson Tide was junior wing Darius Miles, who saw significant playing time in place of Nimari Burnett. Miles has barely played this season due to injury. Prior to tonight, he had appeared in just three games and had yet to score a point.

Against Memphis, Miles scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in just 13 minutes of playing time. He was ready when called upon, and his efforts helped the Tide get a close win. Miles will likely be relied upon to contribute going forward, assuming Burnett will be out for an extended period of time.

Alabama basketball returns to the court on Saturday afternoon for a huge showdown against Gonzaga in Birmingham. The gauntlet of a schedule continues, as Bama will have yet another opportunity to cement itself as a top-5 team.