Jaden Shackelford scored 16 points, while Kira Lewis Jr. and Herbert Jones added 15 each, as Alabama used a run late in the first half to start its way toward a 92-72 nonconference victory Saturday over Belmont in the Rocket City Classic at Huntsville, Ala.
John Petty Jr. scored 14 points and collected 11 rebounds as the Crimson Tide (6-5) won consecutive games for just the second time this season. Despite some early-season struggles, Alabama has won four of its last five.
Tyler Scanlon scored 20 points, Nick Muszynski added 17 and Adam Kunkel had 16 as the Bruins (8-4) saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.
Trailing 32-26 with 5:02 remaining on the first half, Alabama closed out the opening 20 minutes on a 20-6 run to take a 46-38 lead into the break. Alabama then went on a 7-0 run to open the second half and build a 53-38 lead.
Belmont was unable to put together a second-half rally, going on a 1-for-12 stretch from the field and not scoring a field goal for more than a five-minute stretch as the Crimson Tide built a 71-48 lead midway through the second half.
Billed as a matchup between two of the better long-distance shooting teams in the country, Alabama went 14 of 32 from 3-point range while Belmont went 7 of 30. Belmont entered sixth in the nation with 10.8 3-pointers made per game, while Alabama was seventh at 10.7.
Alabama shot 50.7 percent for the game and had a 19-8 advantage in bench points, while also leading 20-9 in assists. The Crimson Tide led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
Alex Reese scored 13 points and Javian Davis added 12 for the Crimson Tide. Grayson Murphy had 11 for Belmont, which shot 40.3 percent from the field.
Alabama and Belmont are now 1-1 in their all-time series. Belmont won the only other game in 2007.
Alabama plays its final nonconference game at home against Richmond on Dec. 29 before moving on to Southeastern Conference play Jan. 4 at Florida.
Belmont has a nonconference game remaining at Western Kentucky next Saturday before opening Ohio Valley Conference play Jan. 2 at home against Southern Illinois.
--Field Level Media
Belmont | Alabama | |
Tyler Scanlon 20 | Scoring | Jaden Shackelford 16 |
Grayson Murphy 6 | Assists | Kira Lewis Jr. 8 |
Tyler Scanlon 8 | Rebounds | John Petty Jr. 11 |
Nick Muszynski 2 | Free Throws Made | Kira Lewis Jr. 4 |
Adam Kunkel 3 | Steals | Kira Lewis Jr. 2 |
Seth Adelsperger 2 | Blocks | Jaylen Forbes 1 |