Rodney Cooper scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists off the bench to lead Alabama men’s basketball team to a 75-47 victory over Lamar (1-6) on Tuesday.
Cooper bounced back after missing the last game with shoulder tendinitis to carry the Tide, who were without leading scorer Trevor Releford (flu-like symptoms) and their lone senior Andrew Steele (groin injury).
“His perimeter shot wasn’t falling, but he was really active,” head coach Anthony Grant said of Cooper’s play. “He did a great job of getting to the offensive glass, was really active in the press and made some great effort plays. He impacted the game in a lot of ways and it’s certainly great to have him back on the floor.”
Freshman guard Retin Obasohan started in Releford’s place, scoring a career-high 13 points and getting three steals while sophomore guard Levi Randolph had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The game was close at halftime with Alabama leading 36-27. But it all changed at the 17:23 mark in the second half when Lamar head coach Pat Knight, son of legendary coach Bob Knight, was ejected after receiving his second technical for arguing with the officials.
“I didn’t earn the first one,” Knight said. “I earned the second one. With the physical play, calls need to be called. Like I said, I didn’t earn the first one, but I made sure I earned the second one. I got my money’s worth.”
Knight said his wife called to make sure he was OK, and he talked to his dad, Bob, and a buddy of his from Panama City during the final 17 minutes of the game.
While Knight was in the locker room, his team fell apart. The Tide went on a 22-6 run, putting the game away.
The Tide dominated inside, outscoring the Cardinals 34-22 in the paint. Alabama also scored 20 points from turnovers, outrebounded Lamar 40-33 and got 19 second chance points.
Alabama was up by as much as 30 at one point, with walk-on Dakota Slaughter going on a 10-2 run by himself. Slaughter finished with 10 points in 10 minutes, giving Alabama a needed boost off the bench.
“He brings it every single day in practice and gives us a chance to get better,” Grant said. “He’s a guy our team trusts and every players believes in his ability. I’m very happy for him.”
Alabama returns to action this Saturday, Dec. 1, against Cincinnati in the SEC-Big East Challenge in Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, looking to improve on its 6-0 start. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPN2 with the radio broadcast available through the Crimson Tide Sports Network. The Tide will return home Wednesday, Dec. 5, to face Dayton with tip-off set for 8 p.m.
