No. 6 Alabama Basketball Overcomes Feisty North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Alabama overcame a flurry of first half turnovers and had to hold on late for its third consecutive victory.

Grant Nelson / AlabamaMBB on Twitte

The No. 6 Alabama basketball program hit the road for a special showcase on Wednesday as the Crimson Tide went over 1300 miles away to take on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Alabama started the game slowly, turning the ball over 13 times in the first half, but was able to get into gear and secure a 97-90 road win for the Crimson Tide's third victory in a row.

An 11-0 second-half run saw the Crimson Tide take control against their Summit League foes after going into the halftime break trailing by three. Alabama made its first four three-point shots in the second half Jarin Stevenson, Mark Sears and Labaron Philon, a stark contrast from the first frame where the Crimson Tide combined to miss its first eight from behind the arc.

North Dakota never went away, despite Alabama's second-half surge. The Fighting Hawks saw guard Treyson Eaglestaff lead all scorers with 40 points, making eight of 18 from beyond the arc. It was the most points by a player against the Crimson Tide since South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell tossed in 44 in February 2017.Eli King only scored eight points but made a 3-point shot with 2:15 remaining to tie the game, but that was as close as the Fighting Hawks could come to pulling off a historic upset.

The matchup was made to feature Devils Lake product, Alabama forward Grant Nelson. Nelson played well in front of his friends and family leading the Crimson Tide in scoring 23 points, with 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Nelson scored six points and secured three rebounds in the game's final 90 seconds to ensure he left his home state with a win.

Mark Sears had an effective night for the Crimson Tide, tying Nelson's scoring lead with 23 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. His was aided by two of Alabama's newest contributors in Houston Mallette and Chris Youngblood who each scored in double figures, making two three-point shots a piece.

Alabama now returns home for two more games to close out non-conference action. The Crimson Tide takes on Kent State in Coleman Coliseum on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.

See Also:

A Look Into Alabama Football's 2025 Roster on The Joe Gaither Show

Grant Nelson Opens Up About Return to North Dakota

Alabama Basketball Using Final Non-Conference Games To Determine Roster Rotation