Sophomore Jahvon Quinerly scored a career-high 24 points to lead Alabama to a 82-64 victory over Ole Miss in a Southeastern Conference opener Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Veteran John Petty Jr. added 13 points for the Crimson Tide (6-3, 1-0) after sitting out the previous game for undisclosed reasons. Alex Reese scored 10 points.
Romello White, a graduate transfer from Arizona State, led the Rebels (5-2, 0-1) with a season-high 20 points while KJ Buffen added 15 points before fouling out with 6:33 remaining in the game.
Herbert Jones, the Tide's No. 2 scorer entering the game with a 13.3 average, fouled out just 29 seconds later, finishing with three points in nine minutes.
The Rebels cut a 12-point deficit early in the second half down to 49-43 at the 15:05 mark before the Tide got rolling. Over the next six minutes while the Rebels were going nearly that stretch between baskets, the Tide built a 63-48 cushion with 9:05 remaining.
The Rebels went on a 7-0 run but the Tide got five quick points to get back up by double digits. Their biggest lead was the final score.
Alabama's 43-34 lead at the break on the strength of 15-of-32 shooting represented the most points and field goals the Rebels had given up in the first half all season. The Tide's total for the game also was a season high against the Rebels, who had held their first six foes to 52.7 points a game.
The Tide shot out to a 5-0 lead and held their first double-digit advantage at 23-11 as the Rebels struggled with turnovers, committing eight through the first eight minutes.
A 9-0 Ole Miss run cut that to 23-20, but the Tide went back up 37-26 approaching the three-minute mark of the first half. Buffen got the Rebels within 41-34 with six consecutive points, but Petty's dunk with four seconds left off Reese's alley-oop pass restored Bama's nine-point halftime cushion.
--Field Level Media
Mississippi | Alabama | |
Romello White 20 | Scoring | Jahvon Quinerly 24 |
Luis Rodriguez 3 | Assists | Jaden Shackelford 4 |
Romello White 11 | Rebounds | Jaden Shackelford 7 |
Romello White 8 | Free Throws Made | Jahvon Quinerly 5 |
KJ Buffen 2 | Steals | Jordan Bruner 1 |
KJ Buffen 1 | Blocks | Jordan Bruner 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Mississippi | 64 | 33.8 | 1-13 | 19-35 | 3 | 44 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
Alabama | 82 | 43.1 | 12-37 | 14-24 | 15 | 44 | 5 | 6 | 15 |