Mikhail Torrance scored 26 points and came up with a key three-point play to lift Alabama over Providence 84-75 on Friday night.
After Andrew Steele’s layup gave Alabama a 76-75 lead with 1:10 left, Torrance came up with a steal, drove the length of the floor and converted the basket plus the foul with 0:44 seconds left to put the Crimson Tide (2-1) up 79-75.
Torrance then went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line and Senario Hillman dunked the ball with 14 seconds left to hand the Friars (3-1) their first loss of the season.
Providence led 37-33 at halftime, but shot just 34.3 percent (12-for-35) in the second half while Alabama shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30).
Justin Knox added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Alabama and JaMychal Green had 15 points and 12 boards.
Jamine Peterson led the Friars with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Marshon Brooks added 22.
good signs for the future:
defense got us back in the second half and…..
a defensive play sealed a win.
providence likely isn’t one of the best teams in the big east but they are a basketball school. this would be MUCH bigger if it were at providence but i’ll take it.
thank god for chris stewart. i know a lot of folks don’t like him but if you don’t, you don’t like an alabama fan calling a game and making it understandable, professional and loving the team he’s calling at the same time.
I for one am pumped up about the hoops program this year. Anthony Grant is bringing fresh air in that was suffocated underneath Mark Gottfried.
Unlike Gottfried — Grant will actually play the depth.
i know we’ll likely lose quite a few games this year but, by god, d-up and get in somebody’s face!
it’s all about a competitive product at this point. with the hiring of calipari at uk the competition got a hell of a lot tougher. (people think sec football is tough, look at sec basketball!)(and by the same token, if you think sec football officiating is crappy, ditto sec basketball) grant’s got to recruit legitimate blue chip talent. we need big men bad. but that’s no excuse for not hustling.
diving for loose balls, in-your-face defense, how about a competent effort to run in-bounds plays??? as you said 81, use the damn bench. (and i’m not talking about just playing the bench players, either)
a change in direction, that’s all i’m looking for this season.
Speaking of bad officiating. It’s bad all over. They tried to give Notre Dame the game twice in the last 90 seconds with bullshit holding calls. How about the basketball powerhouse UConn, whipping ND! LMAO!