Drew Timme had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead six Bulldogs in double figures as No. 15 Gonzaga defeated No. 4 Alabama 100-90 in the C.M. Newton Classic on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.
Timme shot 12 of 18 from the field and added four assists while Anton Watson added 17 points and five rebounds. Malachi Smith chipped in 12 points and five steals, with Nolan Hickman finishing with 13 points and four rebounds. Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton scored 11 points apiece for the Bulldogs, who won their fourth straight game.
The Bulldogs (9-3), who led by 12 with nine minutes left, shot 57.1 percent from the field, including 7 of 17 (41.2 percent) from 3-point range.
Gonzaga scored 23 points off Alabama’s 21 turnovers, while the Bulldogs’ nine miscues led to 11 Crimson Tide points.
Alabama (9-2), which had a four-game winning streak snapped, was led by freshman Brandon Miller with a game-high 36 points. Jaden Bradley added 18 points and four assists, while Noah Clowney chipped in nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Crimson Tide shot 51.7 percent from the field, including 8 of 25 (32 percent) from beyond the arc.
After Alabama pulled to within 68-65 on Miller’s jumper, the Bulldogs put the game away by going on a 11-2 run to take a 79-67 lead on Smith’s jumper with 9:07 to go.
The Tide started strong with a 20-11 lead before Gonzaga asserted control and built a 47-42 lead at the half.
Timme scored 16 points and Watson had eight in the first 20 minutes for Gonzaga, which shot 46.5 percent from the field, including 3 of 11 (27.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
Alabama was led by Bradley’s 12 points, while Miller added 10, but its 14 first-half turnovers prevented the Crimson Tide from getting into rhythm offensively.
The Crimson Tide shot 44.8 percent from the field, including 4 of 15 (26.7 percent) from distance in the first half.
–Field Level Media