Behind 21 3-pointers overall and a season-high 28 points from true freshman forward Brandon Miller, No. 18 Alabama cruised to a 104-62 home win over Jacksonville State.
The Crimson Tide (4-0) nailed 12 3-pointers in the first half and were 21-of-46 (45.7 percent) for the game.
Miller, a McDonald’s All-American, was 7 of 9 from the 3-point line. He also had eight rebounds and three assists.
Point guard Mark Sears went 4 of 6 from the 3-point line in scoring 16 points in the first half to lead Alabama. He finished with 18 points and three assists.
Guard Nimari Burnett went 5 of 6 from long range and tallied 18 points for the Tide. Forward Noah Clowney added eight points and 10 rebounds.
Guards Jaden Bradley and Jahvon Quinerly played well for Alabama off the bench. Bradley had seven points, six rebounds and five assists. Quinerly, in his second game back from an ACL injury suffered in last season’s NCAA Tournament, had six points and eight assists.
Jacksonville State’s leading scorer, Skyelar Potter, was held to a season-low seven points by a long and active Crimson Tide defense.
Forwards Amanze Ngumezi and Juwan Perdue added 13 points each for the Gamecocks. Guard Demaree King added 12 points.
Alabama and Jacksonville State (1-2) got out to a fast start shooting in the opening half, with Jacksonville State leading 17-14 about seven minutes into the game. Bradley tied the game at 17 all when he nailed a 3-pointer from the corner with 12:25 to go in the opening half.
The Crimson Tide took a 35-28 lead with 7:34 to play in the opening half behind a 13-2 run.
Alabama went up 41-33 with just over five minutes left in the half, and it extended its lead behind the red-hot shooting of Sears and Burnett. Sears put the Tide up 51-39 at the half by scoring the Crimson Tide’s last five points.
A 24-9 run to open the second half gave Alabama a 75-48 lead with 12:15 to play. Quinerly nailed two 3-pointers during the burst.
The lead ballooned to 82-50 behind Miller’s 3-pointer with 11 minutes left in the game.
–Field Level Media
