Bama Thumped By Stanford In Asheville, Will Face UNLV Tuesday

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — No. 25 Alabama held a lead for a little more than a minute total in front of a nationally-televised audience Monday night, but that would be about the scope of their success apart from scattered moral victories as the unranked Stanford Cardinal pummeled the Crimson Tide 82-64 in the opening round of the 2020 Camping World Maui Invitational in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Lethargic shooting, coupled with a forgettable defensive performance resulted in the Tide dropping its first true test of the 2020-2021 season, as Alabama shot 36% from the field, going 24-for-67, in addition to a meager 7-for-29 from 3-point range.

The Tide's offense did see another notable performance from sophomore guard Jahvon Quinerly, who went 6-for-11 shooting and led the team in scoring with 14 points. Sophomore guard Jaden Shackelford was the only other Alabama player to hit double digits, finishing with 10 points on the night.

Alabama did improve on ball control, turning the ball over 15 times compared to Stanford's 22 turnovers, which also represents an improvement from the Tide's 19 turnovers in the season-opening win over against Jacksonville State last week. However, Alabama did not grab an offensive rebound until the last minute of first half, failing to capitalize on second-chance baskets in what head coach Nate Oats and numerous commentators referred to as a "low-effort" performance.

Despite a strong defensive performance for Alabama in its first win, Stanford finished its season opener shooting 52% from the field against the Tide with four players in double digits, led by highly-touted freshman Ziaire Williams. The Preseason All PAC-12 honoree ripped off 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds on the night, in addition to three assists.

The Cardinal also outmuscled the Tide on the defensive boards, grabbing 39 defensive rebounds compared to Alabama's 24.

Alabama (1-1, 0-0) will take on the UNLV Runnin' Rebels (0-2, 0-0) Tuesday night in a loser's bracket game that will tip off at 8:30 p.m. central time in Asheville. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.

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