Behind a big second half from Mark Sears, No. 9 Alabama held on for an 84-64 win over Jackson State on Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Sears scored 15 points, all in the second half, to help the Crimson Tide (10-2) bounce back from a Saturday loss to then-No. 15 Gonzaga.
Noah Gurley added 16 points and five rebounds for Alabama. Brandon Miller (10 points, season-high 14 rebounds), Charles Bediako (10 points, nine rebounds) and Jahvon Quinerly (eight points, five assists) also played well.
Nick Pringle added 14 points and nine boards off the bench for Alabama, which played without Noah Clowney (illness) in addition to Nimari Burnett (wrist, out indefinitely).
Ken Evans had 12 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 19 for Jackson State (1-11). Chase Adams (eight points, three assists) and Trace Young (seven points, 10 rebounds) also contributed for the Tigers.
Jackson State jumped out to a 9-4 lead early less than five minutes into the game behind five points from Evans. An 8-2 run gave the Crimson Tide a 12-11 lead.
An 11-4 run, sparked by a dunk by Pringle, a 3-pointer by Quinerly and a short jumper from Jaden Bradley, put Alabama up 25-18 with 5:18 to go until halftime. Back-to-back baskets by Miller and Pringle extended the Crimson Tide’s lead to 29-21, but Jackson State trimmed the deficit to 33-32 heading into halftime.
The Crimson Tide went on a 14-4 run to open the second half and establish a 47-36 lead with 15 minutes to go in the second half. Alabama upped its lead to 56-45 on back-to-back inside hoops by Sears and Gurley with less than 12 minutes to play in the second half.
However, the Tigers wouldn’t go away as a 3-pointer by Evans trimmed Alabama’s lead to 64-57 with 5:41 to go in the game. But a 20-7 run in the final minutes, highlighted by a monster dunk by Miller, allowed Alabama to seal the victory.
–Field Level Media
