Crimson Tide: No. 20 Alabama crushes Sam Houston State 96-74

Tuscaloosa, Ala., Nov. 4, 2026. No. 20 Alabama defeated Sam Houston State 96-74 on Tuesday night in the season opener for both programs.

The Crimson Tide relied on defense to overcome a slow start from beyond the arc. The team missed its first seven three-point attempts but recorded 17 steals and 10 blocks. Alabama forced 23 total turnovers to control the pace of the game.

London Jemison and Drew Fielder each scored 15 points for the winner. Freshman Tarris Bouie added 13 points in his college debut, while Amari Allen contributed 12. Jemison went 4-for-4 from the field in the first half, including two three-pointers, helping Alabama build a 40-29 halftime lead.

Sam Houston State (0-1) relied on Jacobe Coleman, who scored 16 points. Justin Begg finished with 13 points, and Zion Pipkin added 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from deep. Aden Holloway did not play for Alabama. He is serving a five-game suspension following a March arrest on drug charges that were later dismissed.

The game separated in the second half. Alabama opened the period on a 9-2 run. Fielder’s layup extended the lead to 30 points with 12:40 remaining. Bouie scored six points during that stretch, including a three-point play and a contested three-pointer. Freshman Jaxon Richardson, son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, drew crowd noise with a windmill dunk in the first half and another slam late in the game.

Begg scored 13 points after halftime but could not close the gap. The Bearkats will host Howard Payne on Saturday. Alabama will host Arkansas State on Friday.