An efficient second-half performance helped lift No. 16 Alabama men’s basketball over the South Florida Bulls on Wednesday 104-93.
The team shot an impressive 55.2% in the second half and knocked down eight 3-pointers after a tough first 20 minutes of play. It also eclipsed the 100-point threshold for the fourth time this season, despite an 8/19 performance on layups and 14 turnovers.
The Crimson Tide was led in scoring by star guards Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway, who had 29 and 24 points, respectively. The duo combined for 38 points and 10 assists in the second half.
Holloway’s bounceback performance came after a scoreless outing against No. 1 Arizona, in which he took just two shot attempts due to a lingering wrist injury. He led all scorers in the second half with 19 points and knocked down 8/14 from the field to pair with two steals.
“He’s an elite shot-maker,” head coach Nate Oats said of Holloway. “He’s one of the most skilled guards in the country.”
Alabama dominated the glass 32-22 in the first half, including 16 offensive rebounds. In the second half, it broke down on the boards, giving up 25 offensive rebounds to South Florida and losing the rebounding battle 46-45.
It did improve on the offensive glass, though, snatching 20 offensive rebounds after picking up just three in the loss to Arizona.
“I thought the rebounding was good for a half,” Oats said. “I thought it was solid at the beginning of the second half, and then it kind of fell apart.”
The two teams traded buckets for much of the first half, with the Crimson Tide’s lead within single digits for the entire half. Guard Houston Mallette led the scoring effort in the opening 20 minutes of play with 13 points, followed by Philon, who had 10.
“He plays hard all the time,” Oats said of Mallette. “He’s about the right stuff. He’s super coachable.”
The Bulls mustered a 6-0 run to cut Alabama’s lead down to 3 points at the under-16 media timeout, as the Crimson Tide’s shooting struggles continued to open the second half. Those struggles didn’t last long in the second half, though, as the Crimson Tide punched back with a 17-4 run, which forced Bulls head coach Bryan Hodgson to call a timeout.
The scoring continued as the Crimson Tide stretched its lead to 17 points, thanks to Holloway, who continued to sizzle from the field. Numerous stoppages in play occurred across the final eight minutes of play, as both teams totaled 15 fouls.
Alabama’s lead remained at double digits throughout the closing stages of the second half, despite several scoring threats from South Florida. The Crimson Tide capped off its eighth win of the season when forward Taylor Bol Bowen drained a triple with 35 seconds to play.
No. 16 Alabama will return to action on Sunday in Huntsville when it faces the Kennesaw State Owls in the Rocket City Classic. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT, and the game can be streamed on SEC Network+.
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