Alabama Men’s Basketball Team Drops First Game Of European Tour

The Alabama men’s basketball team fell to Boulogne, 100-70, on Friday night, marking the first defeat of its 2013 European Tour. The Tide falls to 3-1 on the 10-day trip, with only one game remaining.

Boulogne, which finished last season 26-11 in the Pro B Division of the French Professional League, controlled the game from the start, as it jumped out to a 12-2 lead and never looked back. Boulogne used stifling defense in the first two quarters, essentially shutting down the Alabama offense.

The Crimson Tide was outscored 27-13 in the first quarter and trailed 55-23 at intermission.

Alabama picked up its game in the second half, outscoring the French team, 47-45, in the final 20 minutes, but the damage was already done.

Senior guard Trevor Releford led the Tide with 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor. Junior guard Rodney Cooper finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Freshmen center Jimmie Taylor led Alabama with eight rebounds.

Boulogne was led by former Georgia Tech standout Zack Peacock, who finished with 24 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Tide finished the game shooting only 37 percent from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc.

Alabama will close out the 2013 European Tour when it meets Rouen on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. CDT).

For more information on the Crimson Tide, follow the men’s basketball on twitter, facebook and instagram @AlabamaMBB.