Greenville, S.C. – Aden Holloway scored 18 points and Labaron Philon added 16 to lead 15^th-ranked Alabama to a 96-71 exhibition win over Furman on Sunday in the opening game in the Paladins' newly renovated Timmons Arena.
 
The Crimson Tide used a 9-0 run midway through the first half to erase an early deficit and take a 28-20 lead before carrying a 48-36 advantage into the half. After Alabama stretched its lead to 18 points early in the second half, Furman's Charles Johnston drilled a triple with 12:35 to play in the game to cut the margin back to 12 at 63-51 with 12:35 to play. 
 
Alabama answered with an 11-0 run to extend its cushion to 23 points, but Tom House and Cooper Bowser combined to ignite a 13-5 run that helped the Paladins cut the deficit to 79-64 with 6:13 left. Latrell Wrightsell's three-point play highlighted a quick 9-0 run by the Crimson Tide that pushed their lead back above 20 points to put the game away.
 
Holloway connected on 6-of-14 shots to score his game-high 18 points while Philon, 6-for-10 from the field, added five assists to go with his 16 points. Wrightsell finished with 12 points and Amari Allen contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Crimson Tide shot 54% from the floor and converted on 19-of-26 trips to the foul line in their second preseason outing. Alabama posted a 50-38 edge on the glass and netted 50 points in the paint to go with 20 second-chance points.
 
Johnston and Bowser led Furman with 14 points apiece while House scored 11 points and freshman Alex Wilkins added 10. Johnston pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds and Bowser dished out six assists for the Paladins.
 
Furman grabbed 19 offensive rebounds but managed just 10 second0chance points and connected on just 10-of-25 trips to the foul line. The Paladins recorded 21 assists on 26 baskets and committed just nine turnovers.
 
Furman thrilled the sellout crowd by burying three consecutive three-pointers in the opening 75 seconds to race out to a 9-0 lead. Wilkins' triple in the opening seconds marked the first basket in the history of the arena.
 
The Paladins open the regular season with a 6:30 p.m. contest against High Point in The Field of 68 Tip-Off Marathon in Rock Hill, S.C., on Monday, November 3. Furman's regular season home opener is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Friday, November 7 at Timmons Arena when it entertains defending Sun Belt Conference champion Troy.
 
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