Bama Central

No. 4 Alabama Basketball Outlasts Memphis in Gritty 91-88 Win

Brandon Miller and Mark Sears combined for 42 points as the Crimson Tide held off a 30-point performance from Tigers guard Kendric Davis.

Joey Blackwell

In this story:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In a physical game that saw three players foul out and a total of eight players record three or more fouls, No. 4 Alabama basketball outlasted Memphis in a gritty 91-88 win.

The Crimson Tide led the game by as much as nine points at multiple points in the second half, but the Tigers consistently clawed back to keep the game close.

"This is a better Memphis team than last year's team I think, in my opinion," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said after the game. "I think Penny [Hardaway]'s done a good job getting an older group in there.

"You gotta give Memphis a ton of credit for hanging in there."

Prior to the start of the game, it was announced by Alabama sports information that guard Nimari Burnett will be out for the foreseeable future with a wrist injury. After the game Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats confirmed that Burnett is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, a big blow for the Crimson Tide.

With Burnett sidelined with the injury, Oats opted to start freshman Jaden Bradley. While Burnett will be missed during his recovery, the Crimson Tide has depth to ease his absence.

Memphis opened the game by scoring the first six points of the contest, putting Alabama behind early. The Tigers stayed ahead until the 8:26 mark when guard Mark Sears hit a layup to put the Crimson Tide out in front.

Sears and forward Noah Gurley were the two stories of the first half, with the duo leading in scoring with 12 and 7 points, respectively. While Sears was hailed for his scoring, Gurley took it a step further with five rebounds — enough to tie both Noah Clowney and Brandon Miller for the team-lead at halftime. Through the first 20 minutes, Gurley also led in the plus/minus with a +13 — nine points better than second-place Jaden Bradley.

While the Crimson Tide didn’t surrender the lead as the halftime buzzer sounded, the Tigers remained within striking distance. At the break, Alabama led 36-33.

Memphis kept the game close, tying the game as late as the 9:56 mark. A 3-pointer and two free throws from Miller and two more free throws from Bradley gave the Crimson Tide seven unanswered points, propelling it back to a lead that it would never surrender.

With 31 seconds left in the game, Alabama led by nine. However, back-to-back layups and a jumper from Memphis guard Damaria Franklin pulled the Tigers within five before a 3-pointer by Keonte Kennedy cut the margin back down to the final of 91-88 in favor of the Crimson Tide.

Miller finished the game with a team-leading 24 points and placed second on the team in rebounds with eight. Sears finished the game with 18 points and one rebound, while Clowney led the team with nine rebounds.

"Last year we had the two big wins — Gonzaga, Houston — went to Memphis and lost and really played super lethargic," Oats said. "This was not one of our better performances tonight but still good to come out with a win. So you gotta give the guys credit."

With the win, Alabama moves to 9-1 on the season while Memphis drops to 8-3 on the year, with the Crimson Tide snapping the Tigers' six-game winning streak. Up next, Alabama will face No. 15 Gonzaga in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday (12 p.m. CT, CBS).

How it Happened:

(Most recent update at the top)

Second Half

  • Final: Alabama 91, Memphis 88
Screenshot 2022-12-13 at 10.32.52 PM
  • Kennedy drains a 3-pointer to make it 91-88 Alabama. With 0.6 seconds left in the game, Memphis calls a full timeout.
  • And now Hardaway is called for his third foul. Miles walked up to the line and made both shots. 90-83 Alabama.
  • Clowney is called for his fifth personal and is out of the game. Bradley came in to replace him. Franklin made the layup, but missed the and-1. However, he rebounded the basketball and made yet another layup. 88-83 Alabama with 0:22.8 seconds left in the game.
  • Memphis has resorted to fouling with 0:31.9 seconds left. Clowney headed down to the free-throw line and made both shots. 88-79 Alabama.
  • McCadden has now fouled out and headed to the bench. Miller scored two at the free-throw line. 86-77 Alabama.
  • Lomax made a layup. However, Davis limps off the court. A big loss for Memphis in the final seconds of this game.
  • Clowney smashed down a dunk, bringing the score to 84-75 with 0:54.2 seconds left in the game. The crowd erupted in response.
  • Davis was fouled by Miles, his first foul of the game. Davis made both free throws and now has a remarkable 30 points on the night.
  • Miller missed a 3-pointer, but rushed forward for the rebound and the second-chance dunk. 82-73 Alabama with 1:05 on the clock.
  • Davis now has 28 points with his latest jumper. Miller responds on the opposite end with a 3-pointer. 80-73 Alabama with 1:37 left to play.
  • Bradley picked up his fourth personal, Alabama's ninth. Lawson headed to the line to shoot two and made his second shot. 77-71 Crimson Tide.
  • Bediako slams home a dunk. 77-70 Alabama.
  • Lomax heads to the line and misses the and-1 after the break.
  • At the final media timeout of the game, Alabama leads 75-70. Bediako picked up his first foul right before the break. 3:03 left to play.
  • Sears drives down the floor and made a layup. On the opposite end, Quinerly gets the defensive rebound, which leads to a layup by Miles. 75-68 Alabama.
  • Davis made yet another jumper. He has 26 points on the night. 71-68 Crimson Tide with 4:19 left to play in the game.
  • A jumper by Davis and a dunk by Lawson keeps the game close. Miles has returned to the game after his earlier injury.
  • Sears headed to the line after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. He made all three, making it 71-62 with 5:42 to go.
  • Griffen went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line to make it 68-62, then Clowney drew a charge on the opposite end of the floor. That charge is Williams' fifth foul of the game, and he is done for the night.
  • Griffen was called for his second foul. Davis made two free throws as a result. 67-62 Alabama.
  • Miller drains a 3-pointer. 67-60 Alabama.
  • At the under-8 media timeout, Alabama's free throws are finally starting to sink. That being said, the Crimson Tide is just 18-for-27 (67 percent) from the charity stripe.
  • Bradley picks up his third foul, with Davis making the layup. He headed to the line and made the and-1. 64-60 Alabama.
  • Bradley sank both of his free throws. 64-57 Alabama. The Crimson Tide is on a 7-0 run since tying the game.
  • Franklin is called for his third foul, sending Bradley to the line. Memphis now has nine team fouls with 8:19 left to play.
  • Clowney is issued his third personal. Williams headed to the line and missed both of his free throws.
  • Miles has returned to the bench.
  • Williams just picked up his fourth foul, Memphis' eighth team foul. Miller headed to the line and made both of his free throws. 62-57 Alabama.
  • Miller sank a 3-pointer, his second of the night. 60-57 Alabama.
  • Bradley is called for his second foul as Davis made a layup. The basket counts, and Davis hit the and-1. And just like that, we have a 57-57 tie.
  • Clowney goes 1-for-2 at the line, making it 57-54 Crimson Tide.
  • A layup by Williams has made it a one-score game. 56-54 Crimson Tide with 10:14 left to play.
  • Miles headed to the locker room, still limping.
  • Miles appeared to twist either his ankle or his knee. Play is halted as he gingerly walked back to the bench and the officials reviewed to see if there was foul play. A double foul is issued, one on McCadden (his fourth) and one on Bradley (his first).
  • Williams made a layup. 56-52 Alabama.
  • Apologies for the delay. There have been some technical difficulties in Coleman regarding the WiFi network. Alabama leads 56-50 at the under-12 media timeout after a good jumper by Lomax for Memphis and a made free throw by Quinerly.
  • Dandridge was injured under the basket on the Tigers' defensive end of the court. He was helped off the court and headed straight to the locker room.
  • Quinerly sank his second 3-pointer of the night. Bradley follows it up with another 3. 55-48 Alabama with 12:14 left to play in the game.
  • Bediako was fouled by Lawson and headed to the line, where he made both free throws. 49-44 Crimson Tide.
  • Layup good by Davis. 47-44 Crimson Tide.
  • Darius Miles drains a 3-pointer. 47-42 Alabama.
  • Jumper good by McCadden, and the Tigers are back within 2.
  • Miller made a layup. 44-40 Alabama.
  • McCadden made both free throws. 42-40 Alabama.
  • At the under-16 media timeout, Clowney was called for this second personal. On the game, he and Miller lead the Crimson Tide with two fouls apiece.
  • Miller was fouled on the way up for a layup, but made the basket. Miller headed to the line and made the and-1. 42-38 Crimson Tide at the 16:06 mark.
  • Hardaway makes a layup, followed by a Dunk by Williams. Miller fouled Williams on the play, sending him to the free-throw line. Williams made the and-1, pulling the Tigers within 1. 39-38 Alabama.
  • Bradley makes a layup. 39-33 Alabama.
  • Williams is called for a technical foul, sending Miller to the line. Miller goes 1-for-2. 37-33 Alabama.
  • Memphis will get possession to start the second half.

First Half

  • Halftime: Alabama 36, Memphis 33
Screenshot 2022-12-13 at 8.59.16 PM
  • Memphis has now made its last five shots after missing 16 of 17.
  • Memphis ties the game with a jumper by Williams. Quinerly responds on the offensive end for Alabama with his first 3-pointer of the game. 36-33 Alabama and Memphis calls a timeout with 8.9 seconds left on the game clock.
  • Sears drains a 3-pointer. 33-29 Alabama.
  • Elijah McCadden made a jumper, and the Tigers have pulled within 1. 30-29 Crimson Tide with 1:18 remaining in the first half.
  • Sears is at the line once again and once again goes 1-for-2.
  • Williams hit a jumper for the Tigers, and it is now 29-27 with just over two minutes left.
  • Memphis finally makes a basket, its first since the 7:47 mark.
  • Clowney was fouled on the way to the basket, and now he'll step up to the free-throw line. He mirrors Sears, missing his first but making his second. 29-23 Crimson Tide.
  • Alabama is now in the double-bonus, and Sears heads to the line. He missed his first, but made his second. 28-23 Alabama with 3:11 left in the first half.
  • Memphis has now made zero of its last nine shots. At the final media timeout of the first half, Alabama still leads 27-23.
  • Miller drains his first 3-pointer of the night. 27-23 Alabama.
  • Griffen was called for a shooting foul. The replay on the jumbotron shows that it was pretty close to being clean. The crowd responds in kind. 24-23 Alabama after Davis hit both free throws.
  • For reference, Memphis has eight team fouls, putting Alabama in the bonus.
  • Miller is called for his first personal foul, Alabama's fourth team foul.
  • Sears was fouled, hit both free throws on the 1-and-1. 23-21 Crimson Tide.
  • Dandridge stepped up to the free-throw line after Clowney is called for a blocking foul (his first personal of the game) and hits both free throws. 21-21.
  • A 9-0 run by Alabama has given it the lead. The crowd at Coleman is by far the largest and loudest of the season so far. Their response to Bradley's defensive pressure and Sears' back-to-back layups created the loudest moment of the season yet.
  • Sears gets another layup. 21-19 Alabama at the under-8 media timeout.
  • Phenomenal individual efforts by Bradley (on the defensive end of the court) and Sears (on the offensive end) leads to a layup for Sears and an and-1 opportunity. Sears made the free throw, and the Crimson Tide has its first lead of the game. 19-17 Alabama.
  • Jaden Bradley picks up his first 2 points of the game with a layup. 17-16 Tigers.
  • Layup good by Gurley. He has 7 points. 17-14 Tigers.
  • Damaria Franklin heads to the line for Memphis and makes both free throws. 17-12 Memphis.
  • Clowney makes a layup, assist by Davis. 15-12 Memphis at the 10:13 mark.
  • Gurley has been the primary weapon for the Crimson Tide so far, leading in both points and rebounds with 5 and four, respectively.
  • A layup by Gurley is good, assist by Darius Miles. At the under-12 timeout, Alabama still trails 11-10.
  • Layup by Bediako good, assist by Gurley. 9-8 Memphis.
  • A fast break dunk by Dandridge puts the Tigers lead back to 3. 9-6 Memphis as the 14:00 mark.
  • Noah Gurley drains a 3-pointer from the far corner, assist by Jahvon Quinerly. 7-6 Tigers.
  • Malcolm Dandridge scores 1-of-2 at the free-throw line. 7-3 Memphis.
  • Nimari Burnett's timetable to return for Alabama after his injury is 6-8 weeks, per the ESPN2 broadcast.
  • At the under-16 media timeout, the Crimson Tide still trails 6-3. Alabama has two turnovers through the first four minutes, but has out-rebounded Memphis 5-4 to prevent the Tigers from capitalizing on said turnovers.
  • Clowney records the first basket of the game for Alabama with a layup, assist by Brandon Miller. 6-3 Tigers.
  • Noah Clowney steps up to the free-throw line and goes 1-for-2. 6-1 Memphis at the 17:25 mark.
  • Davis records the first points of the game with a jumper. 2-0 Tigers.
  • Memphis wins the tipoff, and we are underway inside Coleman Coliseum.

Pregame

  • Coleman Coliseum took a moment of silence in honor of the passing of Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach:
  • Starting five for Memphis:
    • Alex Lomax
    • Kendric Davis
    • Chandler Lawson
    • Deandre Williams
    • Jayden Hardaway
  • Starting five for Alabama is now live, and Jaden Bradley will start at the 2 for the injured Burnett:
  • Check out the game poster for tonight's matchup:
  • Officials for tonight's game: Joe Lindsay, Tony Greene, Bart Lenox.
  • Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT.

How to Watch: Alabama vs Memphis

Who: No. 8 Alabama (8-1) vs. Memphis (8-2)

When: 8 p.m. CT, Tuesday

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: ESPN2

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart; Analyst: Bryan Passink). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Last Meeting: The Alabama men's basketball team fell on the road at Memphis Tuesday night, dropping a 92-78 decision inside the FedExForum. The loss snapped the Crimson Tide's (8-2) four-game winning streak while the Tigers (6-4) won their first game after dropping four consecutive entering the contest.

Last time out, Alabama: For the second time in two weeks the Alabama men's basketball team has defeated the nation's No. 1-ranked team, as the Crimson Tide knocked Houston, 71-65, in front of a record crowd at the Fertitta Center Saturday afternoon.

The Tide (8-1) trailed by as many as 15 points early in the second half but outscored the Cougars (9-1) 42-21 over the final 17 minutes of play to earn the team's third top-15 win of the season.

With the win, Alabama became the first team to defeat two different No. 1 teams before January since the 1965-66 season when Duke accomplished the feat. Two games ago, on Nov. 27 at the PKI in Portland, Ore., UA captured a 103-101 quadruple-overtime win over then-No. 1 North Carolina.

Last time out, Memphis: The Memphis Tigers earned a win in their biggest test of the season Saturday afternoon with an 82-73 win over No. 11 Auburn inside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on national television.

The Tigers (8-2) led by as many as 15 in the second half en route to their sixth-straight victory and its third win over a Southeastern Conference opponent this season. Auburn (8-1) was one of just 10 unbeaten teams in the country entering the day.

Want to see the Crimson Tide or other teams? SI Tickets.

Published
Joey Blackwell
JOEY BLACKWELL

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