TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — London Jemison and Drew Fielder scored 15 points apiece as No. 20 Alabama beat Sam Houston 96-74 on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Alabama played without Aden Holloway, who is serving a five-game suspension following his March arrest on drug charges that were later dismissed.
Freshman Tarris Bouie scored 13 points in his college debut and Amari Allen added 12 for the Crimson Tide.
Jacobe Coleman scored 16 points
for Sam Houston (0-1). Justin Begg scored 13, Zion Pipkin added 11 points and made 3 of 4 3-pointers for the Bearkats.
Alabama missed its first seven 3-point attempts, but found its offense through its defense, finishing with 17 steals and 10 blocks while forcing 23 turnovers.
Jemison made all four of his first-half shots, including two 3-pointers, as Alabama took a 40-29 lead into halftime. Coleman scored 10 points and Pipkin added eight to keep Sam Houston close.
The Crimson Tide opened the second half on a 9-2 run and stretched the lead to 30 points on Fielder’s layup with 12:40 remaining. Bouie scored six points during that stretch, converting a three-point play and hitting a contested 3-pointer late in the shot clock.
Begg scored 13 points after halftime, but the Bearkats couldn’t keep pace.
Alabama freshman Jaxon Richardson, the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, brought the crowd to its feet with a first-half windmill dunk, and added another slam as the second half wound down.
Sam Houston: Hosts Howard Payne on Saturday.
Alabama: Hosts Arkansas State on Friday.
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