No. 8 Alabama men’s basketball closed out its Players Era Festival slate with a 105-72 drubbing of the Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday night.
The Crimson Tide was led by its backcourt in the scoring effort, with star guards Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway combining for 37 points. Holloway scored 17 points to pair with 10 assists, which earned him his first-career double-double.
“His pick-and-roll reads were great,” head coach Nate Oats said of Holloway postgame. “His rim decisions when he got down there were good. Thought his pace was good. He was able to get by guys, get in the paint, spray the ball.”
Philon continued his strong start to the season with a 20-point effort on an efficient 7 of 11 from the field. He also notched six assists and four rebounds and did not miss a free-throw attempt after missing two against UNLV and three against Gonzaga.
Center Aiden Sherrell notched a career-high five blocks in the victory, the most by an Alabama player since former star forward Grant Nelson, who rejected five shots in the upset win over North Carolina in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Oats said that Sherrell has “significantly improved his defense.”
The Crimson Tide’s offense began the game on a heater and took an early 24-7 lead. It knocked down five 3-point attempts in the opening 6:55, with Holloway tallying a quick four assists.
Its lead ballooned to 23 points in the waning seconds of the opening period, as Holloway knocked down another triple, putting him at 11 points to end the half, alongside Philon, who shot an efficient 4 of 7 in the opening 20 minutes.
After the loss to Gonzaga, Oats emphasized his team’s need for better ball movement and rebounding. In the subsequent two games, it outrebounded UNLV 48-28 and Maryland 49-30. It also tallied 20 assists against the Runnin’ Rebels and 29 against the Terrapins.
“We put together a tough schedule,” Oats said. “We put it together to get better, and we didn’t plan on taking losses, but as long as we win from the losses, we’re okay with it. I thought these guys got better. We will be a better team from playing those four games right in a row we played.”
Alabama eclipsed the 100-point threshold for the second straight evening and the third time this season, when guard Davion Hannah sank a layup to cap off his strongest performance of the season, a 12-point effort on 5 of 7 shooting.
Walk-on forward Jacob Martin scored his first collegiate point in the win, knocking down a free throw. He also picked up a rebound and dished out an assist in limited action.
Alabama will return to the court on Wednesday, hosting the Clemson Tigers at Coleman Coliseum, as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the game can be streamed on ESPNU.
