The Crimson Tide basketball team played the first of three exhibition games on Thursday night. The Tide entertained Furman at Coleman Coliseum and took the visitors to the woodshed with a 111-93 victory in a defense optional contest. Nate Oats squad was playing with out three potential big pieces of the team in Aden Holloway, Anderson Diaz, and Jaxon Richardson. Holloway is serving a suspension related to his arrest and drug charges last spring, Diaz is out for “a month or so”, according to Oats, and Richardon’s absence was attributed to an illness. Preston Murphy Jr. was also not available for the game.
Oats went with a starting five of Amari Allen, Qayden Samuels, London Jemison, Keitenn Bristow, and Drew Fielder. Allen, Jemison, and Bristow, are all returners for last season. Fielder was a portal addition from Boise State, and Samuels is a freshman.
The game started off as a back and forth affair before Allen put together a 6-0 run by himself to give the Tide a 31-25 lead with under 10 minutes left in the period. Samuels and Bristow hit back to back three’s for a 45-33 lead with 5:39 left. Jemison followed with two in a row from deep and by the half the Bama led 60-49. Oats had 10 players play seven minutes or more in the half.
At the break the Tide was shooting 22-39 for 56% with 11-23 from deep for 48%. The team hit 5-6 free throws, grabbed 20 rebounds- nine offensively, dished out 13 assists, turned it over only five times, grabbed five steals, and blocked two shots. Kentucky big man transfer, Brandon Garrison, led the way with 13 points on 6-6 shooting with 1-1 from three point range, three rebounds, and two assists. Allen scored nine with two boards and three assists. Sharpshooting NC State transfer, Cole Cloer, connected on 3-6 from behind the arc for nine first half points. Freshman Tarris Bouie was all over the floor and scored six points with four rebounds and an assist. Samuels tossed in eight points while playing point guard at times in relief of Allen. With Holloway and Diaz both out, Allen and Samuels will both be counted on for major minutes at the lead guard spot.
Furman shot 15-37 for 41% in the first stanza with 9-22 for 41% from deep while making 10-13 free throws. The Paladins tied the Tide with 20 rebounds, 11 offensively, with 11 assists, one block, four steals, and turned the all over seven times. Abijah Franklin was too much for the Tide to handle, tossing in 18 points on 6-10 shooting. Cameron Elwer added 10 points for the visitors.
The Tide began the second half with Allen, Jemison, Garrison, Bristow, and Cloer on the floor. For some reason Furman did not have Franklin on the floor for the majority of the of second half. Cloer hit from deep for a 65-52 lead with 18:07 left in the game. Bouie made a spectacular dunk, Samuels scored at the rim and Fielder had a three point play on a and one for 76-57 margin with 14:39 left.
Bouie, Allen, and Samuels, took over for the remainder of the game and when Allen hit a three pointer the Tide had a 100 point game. Samuels hit from deep and Bouie made a steal and a length of the court, highlight reel, dunk to polish off the scoring in the 111-93 win. Allen led six players in double figures with 19 points with five rebounds, six assists, one steal, and commited four turnovers. Bouie had 18 points, while hitting 8-8 free throws, and added eight rebounds and dished three assists. Samuels threw down 17 points with seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Garrison was a perfect 7-7 from the field and scored 15 with four rebounds, two assists, and a block. Cloer hit 4-10 from deep and scored 14 points and Jemison scored 10 with six rebounds, three assist, one block, and one steal.
Furman shot 15-35 for 43% in the second half with 9-21 for 43% also, while making 5-9 at the charity stripe. Overall the Paladins hit 30-72 for 42% and 18-43 from three for 42%, 15-22 for 68% on free throws, had 38 rebounds with 16 offensively, 21 assists, two blocks, six steals, and turned it over 14 times. Furman had six men in double figures also.