Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (11/02/2026) — The Alabama Crimson Tide never trailed Monday night at Coleman Coliseum, pulling away from the Sam Houston Bearkats for a 96-74 victory behind a balanced attack that put four players in double figures.
Alabama shot 48 percent from the field, handed out 17 assists, and committed just 10 turnovers — a stark contrast to the 23 giveaways that undid Sam Houston. The Bearkats actually outshot the Crimson Tide from three-point range, hitting 45 percent from deep against Alabama's 32 percent, and edged Alabama on the glass 45-42. None of it mattered against a 13-turnover disparity and a second half in which the Crimson Tide steadily stretched an 11-point halftime lead into a 22-point final margin.
How It Happened
Drew Fielder opened the scoring with a layup at the 19:29 mark, and Alabama led the rest of the way. The game was tied just once and featured zero lead changes. Jamarion Davis-Fleming threw down a dunk off an Amari Allen feed at 16:47, and after Zion Pipkin's 22-footer pulled Sam Houston within 6-5, the Crimson Tide began building separation.
London Jemison's 23-foot three at 12:42 made it 11-7, and Jaxon Richardson followed 16 seconds later with a dunk off a Jemison assist. Allen kept feeding the big men — his assist set up a Jemison dunk at 9:38 — and Tarris Bouie's dunk at 8:20 pushed the lead to 20-12.
The teams then traded threes in a barrage that would define the night — the two sides combined for 25 made three-pointers. Fielder and Bouie hit back-to-back triples to make it 30-16 with 5:48 left in the half. Jacobe Coleman answered twice from deep for Sam Houston, and Pipkin added a 23-footer, but Allen's layup in the final minute sent Alabama to the break up 40-29.
Turning Point
The opening minutes of the second half decided it. Alabama ripped off a 9-0 run coming out of the locker room, with Brandon Garrison's 6-foot jumper at 19:39 and Jemison's 24-foot three off a Qayden Samuels assist at 19:04 making it 45-29 before the Bearkats scored. Samuels then buried his own 24-footer off a Keitenn Bristow assist at 17:05, stretching the lead to 52-31.
Sam Houston never got closer than 21 points the rest of the way for any sustained stretch. Bristow's three at 14:43 made it 61-34, and when Fielder connected from 24 feet off a Davis-Fleming assist at 10:23, Alabama led 76-45. Aidan McDowell, Justin Begg, and Xavier Roberson all hit threes for the Bearkats during the half, but the hole was too deep.
Star of the Game
London Jemison led the way with 15 points, three rebounds, and an assist, doing his damage in every fashion — three triples from beyond 23 feet, a dunk off an Allen feed, and the assist on Richardson's first-half slam. Fielder matched him with 15 points and six rebounds, bookending the night by scoring the game's first basket and draining two threes. Bouie added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Allen stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists, repeatedly creating easy baskets at the rim for teammates.
For Sam Houston, Coleman scored a game-high-for-his-team 16 points with six rebounds, Begg added 13 points and four assists, Pipkin posted 11 points and six assists, and McDowell chipped in 10.
What It Means
Alabama's formula was efficiency and ball security. Shooting 48 percent while committing only 10 turnovers gave the Crimson Tide far more quality possessions than the Bearkats could match, and the 17 assists reflect an offense that moved the ball willingly — Allen's four assists and the steady diet of catch-and-shoot threes and lob finishes were evidence of that. The 32 percent three-point mark leaves room to grow, but with four double-figure scorers and contributions from Samuels, Bristow, Richardson, Garrison, and Davis-Fleming, the depth showed.
Sam Houston leaves Tuscaloosa with real positives beyond the final score. The Bearkats hit 45 percent from three and won the rebounding battle 45-42 against an SEC opponent on its home floor. The 23 turnovers are the obvious fix — clean that up, and a team with four double-figure scorers of its own and a 38 percent overall shooting night has a clear path to better outcomes as the 2026-27 season unfolds.
