Pepperdine University
Alabama
Men's Hoops Falls at Alabama, 83-60
12/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2010
Pepperdine-Alabama Box Score 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Pepperdine men's basketball team struggled to find its footing against an athletic Alabama team that thrives on defense, and the Waves fell 83-60 on the road on Tuesday night.
Junior guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) led Pepperdine (5-10) with 17 points. Alabama improved to 7-6 overall (7-0 at home).
The Crimson Tide came into the game as one of the nation's top defensive teams, holding opponents to 57.5 points and 36.0% shooting from the field. The Waves did just about that, shooting 35.4% en route to their 60 points.
Alabama, which got 23 points from JaMychal Green and put five players in double-figures, shot 51.5% from the field. The Crimson Tide nearly doubled up the Waves with points in the paint, 48 to 26.
Senior forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Marshall HS/Collin County CC) had nine points, junior forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) had eight points and seven rebounds and sophomore guard Caleb Willis (Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge HS) tied his career high with eight points.
Alabama never trailed in the game. After Bell hit a jumper in the lane to make the score 2-2, the Crimson Tied reeled off 11 straight points. A lay-up by senior forward Mychel Thompson (Portland, Ore./Santa Margarita Catholic HS/Stoneridge Prep) made it 13-4, but Alabama scored the next four points and led by double-figures the rest of the way.
The Crimson Tide led by as many as 23 in the first half, by the score of 43-24 at halftime and by as many as 31 in the second half.
It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury was making his return to Tuscaloosa, where he was an assistant coach from 2004-07.
The Waves continue their road trip at Miami (Fla.) this Thursday (Dec. 30) at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Fans can listen to Al Epstein's broadcasts for free via Wave Casts and join an interactive live game blog at www.pepperdinesports.com.
