Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Amari Allen tallied 19 points to lead six Alabama players in double figures as the Crimson Tide defeated Furman, 111-93, in the exhibition opener for both schools Thursday night at Coleman Coliseum.
The Crimson Tide connected on 11 first-half three-point attempts and shot 56.4% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes to build a 60-49 halftime lead. A 13-3 run early in the second half helped Alabama extend its advantage to 78-57. The Paladins'
Marcus Kell connected on a three-pointer and capped a 9-2 run with a three-point play to trim the deficit to 84-70 with 8:42 to play, but Furman got no closer the rest of the way.
Alabama shot 56.2% from the field on the night, including 41% from behind the arc. The Crimson Tide managed a 44-38 rebounding margin and outscored the Paladins 50-24 in the paint.
Allen added five boards and six assists to go with his team-high 19 points while Tarris Bouie scored 18 points, Qayden Samuels netted 17, and Brandon Garrison posted 15. Cole Cloer and Landon Jemison rounded out Alabama's double-figure scorers with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Kell, a transfer from Western Carolina, paced the Paladins with 22 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three while sophomore
Abijah Franklin netted 18 first-half points and connected on 4-of-5 three-point attempts to finish with 21 points.
Charles Johnston registered a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds,
Cole Bowser and
Collin O'Neal scored 11 points apiece, and freshman
Cameron Elwer chipped in with 10.
Furman hit on 18-of-43 (41.9%) three-point attempts while shooting 41.7% from the field. The Paladins hauled in 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 21 assists on 30 baskets, led by Bowser's five assists.
The Paladins play their second of three exhibition games on Sunday, October 18, when they host Georgia Southern for a 4 p.m. tip at Timmons Arena. Tickets are available at FurmanPaladins.com.
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