Alabama Men’s Basketball Overcomes Sluggish Start to Down Hofstra on Round of 64

TAMPA, Fla. - The Crimson Tide is moving on to the round of 32 after Alabama's opening-round victory over the Hofstra Pride, whom the Crimson Tide defeated 90-70 behind leading scorer Labaron Philon, who had 29 points in Friday's victory.

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A sluggish start in Alabama's second game in 13 days had Alabama fans nervous in the first half. The Crimson Tide started hot before the first media timeout, taking an 8-2 lead on the back of a 6-0 run before the first break in action, but two three-minute scoring droughts allowed the Pride to jump to a 10-point lead over Alabama with eight minutes left in the first half. Alabama responded with its own 8-0 scoring run, rejuvenating the Tide's offense just before the halftime break. A last-second layup by the Tide's leading scorer this season, Labaron Philon, and a defensive stand from big man Aiden Sherrell gave Alabama a slim two-point lead heading into the break.

The second half looked more like the Alabama basketball we've seen this season, with the Crimson Tide's offense flowing through its star sophomore, who finished the day shooting 10-18 from the floor and 3-7 from three-point range en route to his 29-point performance. Alabama big man Aiden Sherrell was a vital piece to the Crimson Tide's success as well, securing his third-career double-double in the Tide's victory with 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Alabama ended the game on a "kill shot" style run with a commanding 16-3 run over the final four minutes to secure the win on Friday afternoon in the Round of 64. Five Alabama players finished with double-digit points for the Crimson Tide as the suspension of Aden Holloway didn't hurt Alabama on Friday.

Alabama Scorers with Double Digits

Labaron Philon - 29 points
Aiden Sherrell - 15 points
Taylor Bol Bowen - 15 points
Amari Allen - 11 points
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. - 11 points

The Crimson Tide rolls on to the round of 32, where it will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tip-off time is yet to be determined.

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Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.