TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Louisiana Tech ran into a hot-shooting Alabama team in the 2021-22 season opener, falling 93-64 on Tuesday night inside Coleman Coliseum.
 
LA Tech (0-1) was able to take care of the basketball with only 11 turnovers, but the Bulldogs needed to match the three-point shooting of 14th-ranked Alabama (0-1).  But, they were only able to make six compared to the Tide's 13. 
 
The 'Dogs withstood an early stretch of second-chance points by Alabama, getting back-to-back threes by Keaston Willis and a running jumper by Isaiah Crawford to tie the game up at 16-16 with 13:15 to go in the first half.
 
LA Tech went cold from three though and Alabama heated up, taking advantage of Cobe Williams getting into foul trouble in route to eight made triples to build a 48-31 halftime lead.
 
Coming out of the locker room in the second half, Exavian Christon sank a baseline jumper and Crawford tacked on back-to-back buckets of his own to quickly slice the deficit down to 12 at 49-37.
 
However, Kenneth Lofton, Jr. subbed out soon thereafter due to injury, only to play four minutes of the second stanza.  Meanwhile, The Tide went back to getting its points from beyond the arc as Keon Ellis and Jaden Shackleford sparked a fast 10-2 run to put the game out of reach.
 
LA Tech went 6-of-26 from downtown, three of those makes coming from Willis who finished with a team-high 16 points.  Crawford added 15 points and Junior finished with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds in just 20 minutes of action.
 
Alabama went 13-of-33 from deep with Shackleford knocking down four to propel him to 17 points.  Ellis led all scorers with 18 points. 
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Eric Konkol
 
"Alabama is a really good team.  You have to have a solution to keeping them out of the paint because they are just going to get to the rim.  And when you provide any type of help, they are really good at finding a guy for three.  We have a lot to learn about our team and I knew that this would be a great opportunity against a really good team.  We have to learn and see how we can make adjustments and get better." 
 
NOTABLES

• After making five three-pointers in the exhibition, Keaston Willis made a team-high three in route to 16 points coming off the bench.
• Willis was one of six players to see their first career action as Bulldogs.
• Isaiah Crawford tied his career-high with 15 field goal attempts, making seven FGs to give him 15 points.
• Kenneth Lofton, Jr. was one rebound away from recording a double-double. It was the 17th time in his young career he has led the Bulldogs in rebounding.
• Amorie Archibald made his 107th career start, which ranks eighth all-time in program history.

UP NEXT
LA Tech heads back to Ruston for its home opener against Jackson State on Friday, Nov. 12.  Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
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