It wasn’t always pretty, but Alabama took care of business in the season opener, besting Sam Houston St. by a score of 96-74.
The first half was as sloppy as you’d expect for a team playing without a point guard. Alabama turned the basketball over seven times and shot rather poorly, mostly because the offense wasn’t in any kind of rhythm. The good news is that the length on defense was evident, harassing the Bearkats into 11 turnovers and holding them to 30% from the field while blocking seven shots. As a result, the Tide took a 40-29 lead into the locker room.