by Chris DePew
TideFans Staff
December 29, 2015
In a game with little to recommend it other than the result, Alabama overcame a lethargic first half and blew an 11-point lead in the second half, but rallied to hold Jacksonville State to a single field goal in overtime and escaped with a 67-59 home victory.
What did we learn today?: How thin the margin is between this being a dangerous team and a disastrous one. In what turned out to be a 45-minute game, Bama looked like the clearly better team for maybe 15 of those minutes. The Crimson Tide was just 17-of-46 (37 percent) from the field, 5-of-24 from 3-point range and had to go 8-for-8 from the foul line in overtime to raise its free throw percentage to a paltry 65.1 percent. The Tide got outrebounded by the smaller Gamecocks and finished with more turnovers (13) than assists (10) with few fast breaks and a half-court offense that looked more stagnant than pond water. Another effort anywhere close to that will mean an automatic loss in conference play.
What was the best part of the game?: Defensive tenacity. Jacksonville State’s leading scorer, Malcolm Drumwright, had averaged 16.1 points per game but was held scoreless Tuesday. The Gamecocks turned it over 18 times, shot 34.4 percent from the field and barely made it to the foul line (6-of-8). While it would be nice to see if more aggression on defense could lead to more transition offense, it is hard to argue with the results two months in. Also worth noting was Jimmie Taylor’s turnaround after halftime. Barely a factor in the first 20 minutes, he roared back to finish with 13 points, six rebounds and five blocks; and in the process gave Bama’s offense a coherent focus. Riley Norris wasn’t terribly efficient from the field or the line, but did see significant time at small forward and grinded out a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds).
Who was the star?: Graduate transfer Arthur Edwards showed more grit and hustle than anyone despite re-injuring a gimpy ankle (on a diving attempt for a steal) in the first half. He had to go to the locker room for treatment, but gutted it out to come back with a team-high 16 points (on 5-for-11 shooting) and was one of the few clutch players at the foul line (4-for-4). He also added five rebounds and three assists, even though he had to resort to the exercise bike to stay loose while resting in the second half.
What were the biggest concerns?: Retin Obasohan punctuated Alabama’s awful night at the foul line with his two misses in a tie game with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second half. Even a mediocre showing at the line would have given the Crimson Tide a solid win in regulation, but instead Bama was lucky to see overtime after starting 20-for-35 at the stripe. Obasohan was a paltry 6-for-12 at the line and had company in his misery with Taylor (5-for-10) and Norris (4-for-7). He finished with eight points on 1-for-6 shooting from the field. Justin Coleman crashed back to earth after two big scoring games. He made all six foul shots (four in overtime) but was 0-for-6 from the field, 0-for-5 from long distance. After Saturday, Bama will have no more games it can survive with both guards playing that poorly.
Whats next?: Alabama gets one last non-conference game to work out the bugs when Norfolk State visits Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip on the SEC Network.
Follow Chris DePew on Twitter @TideFansChris
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