On Thursday night, the Crimson Tide basketball team defeated Furman 111-93 in a defense-optional exhibition game at Coleman Coliseum. Nate Oats’ squad opened their three-game exhibition schedule missing four players, securing a high-scoring victory despite a depleted roster.
Exhibition Opener Takeaways
- Alabama played without Aden Holloway, Anderson Diaz, Jaxon Richardson, and Preston Murphy Jr.
- Brandon Garrison led the first half with 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance, including a three-pointer.
- Amari Allen paced the Tide overall with 19 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the 111-93 win.
Roster Shortages Shape Rotation at Coleman Coliseum
Nate Oats walked onto the court Thursday evening managing a significantly shorthanded lineup. The team played without three potential big pieces in Aden Holloway, Anderson Diaz, and Jaxon Richardson. Holloway is currently serving a suspension tied to an arrest and drug charges from last spring. Diaz remains sidelined for “a month or so” due to an injury, while Richardson missed the contest because of an illness. Preston Murphy Jr. was also unavailable for the matchup.
Faced with these gaps, Oats deployed a starting five featuring returners Amari Allen, London Jemison, and Keitenn Bristow alongside Boise State portal addition Drew Fielder and freshman Qayden Samuels. With Holloway and Diaz both out of commission, Allen and Samuels absorbed major minutes at the lead guard spot.
High-Scoring First Half Sets the Pace
The game opened as a back-and-forth contest before Allen sparked a personal 6-0 run to give the Tide a 31-25 lead with under 10 minutes remaining in the opening period. Samuels and Bristow followed with back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the margin to 45-33 with 5:39 left on the clock. Jemison added two consecutive deep shots, pushing Alabama to a 60-49 advantage by halftime. By the break, Oats had already cycled 10 players through seven or more minutes of action.
At intermission, the Tide shot 22-39 from the field for 56 percent, hitting 11-23 from beyond the arc for 48 percent. They converted 5-6 free throws, grabbed 20 rebounds—nine on the offensive glass—dished out 13 assists, and committed just five turnovers while recording five steals and two blocks. Garrison anchored the surge with 13 points, while Allen added nine points and Cole Cloer contributed nine first-half points via three triples. Fresh off the bench, freshman Tarris Bouie posted six points and four rebounds.
Furman kept pace early behind Abijah Franklin, who poured in 18 points on 6-10 shooting in the first half alone, while Cameron Elwer added 10 points for the visitors. The Paladins shot 15-37 overall in the first stanza and matched Alabama on the boards with 20 rebounds.
| Team | 1st Half Score | 2nd Half Score | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60 | 51 | 111 |
| Furman | 49 | 44 | 93 |
Second-Half Surge Secures the 111-93 Win
Alabama opened the second half with Allen, Jemison, Garrison, Bristow, and Cloer on the floor. Furman notably left Franklin off the court for the majority of the final twenty minutes. Cloer opened the scoring in the half from deep to make it 65-52 with 18:07 remaining. Bouie added a dunk, Samuels scored at the rim, and Fielder converted a three-point play to stretch the margin to 76-57.
As the clock wound down, Bouie, Allen, and Samuels took control. Allen hit a three-pointer to cross the century mark for Alabama, Samuels added another from deep, and Bouie punctuated the night with a steal and a length-of-the-court dunk. Allen finished with a team-high 19 points, five rebounds, and six assists, though he committed four turnovers. Bouie tallied 18 points while shooting a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds and three assists. Samuels recorded 17 points and seven rebounds, Garrison finished with 15 points on 7-7 shooting, Cloer chipped in 14 points, and Jemison scored 10.
For Furman, the second half mirrored the first in offensive output as they shot 15-35 from the field and finished the night with six players scoring in double figures. However, the Paladins’ 14 total turnovers and defensive lapses allowed the Crimson Tide to pull away comfortably.
