Alabama Routs Illinois in High-Scoring Showdown
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide displayed their offensive prowess in a thrilling 100-87 victory over No. 25 Illinois Wednesday night at Legacy Arena. The matchup featured two teams that reached the Elite Eight last season.
Leading the charge for Alabama (4-1) was Grant Nelson, who scored 23 points, while Aden Holloway contributed 18. Freshman Labaron Philon had a significant impact with 16 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, helping the Tide bounce back from a recent loss to No. 6 Purdue. Adding to the victory, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. also netted 16 points.
Alabama came out strong, with Nelson hitting three consecutive 3-pointers to ignite the team’s scoring. A decisive moment came midway through the first half when Alabama unleashed a 13-0 scoring run, extending their lead to 36-19 as Illinois struggled with an 11-shot drought.
For Illinois (3-1), Will Riley led the team with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Kylan Boswell added 17 and Kasparas Jakucionis contributed 15. Despite their efforts, Illinois couldn’t close the gap after cutting the deficit to eight points in the second half.
A critical statistic favored Alabama, who converted 11 of 13 free throws (84.6%), in stark contrast to Illinois’ 54.2% shooting from the charity stripe (13 of 24). Alabama’s victory adds to their NCAA Tournament resume and sets the stage for their next challenge against No. 7 Houston in Las Vegas next Tuesday. Meanwhile, Illinois will look to bounce back as they host Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday.
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