FLORENCE, Ala. | Dailin Smith scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the first half as the Alabama A&M University men's basketball team could not recover from a 10-point first-half deficit as North Alabama pulled away midway through the second half for an 83-67 victory on Thursday night at CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall.
North Alabama (2-0), which won its third straight over Alabama A&M, outscored the Bulldogs, 43-37, in the second half in picking up the win.
Smith, who drained five field goals and four free throws, led the way for Alabama A&M with 15 points and four rebounds. Anthony Bryant registered 12 points, including going 6-of-12 from the foul line, along with three boards, three assists and one steal.
Caleb Blackwell added nine points, one assist and one steal.
Kj Johnson pace three North Alabama players in double figures with 16 points. Jacari Lane added 15 points, on 6-of-11 shooting, with four assists and one steal. Josiah Fulcher registered 12 points, eight boards and three steals. Damian Forrest led the way defensively with 11 rebounds, including nine on the defensive side.
Gallery: (11-9-2023) Alabama A&M at North Alabama
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lane scored seven of the first nine North Alabama points as the Lions raced out to a 9-2 advantage with 16:22 remaining in the first half.
The Lions continued to increase their lead, pushing the margin to 13-5 after four straight free throws by Johnson with 14:51 left.
Alabama A&M (0-1) closed the gap to 14-9 after two free throws by
Caleb Blackwell with just 14 minutes to play.
Free throws by Canin Jefferson and a 3-pointer by Marco Foster extended the North Alabama advantage to 19-9 with 11:39 remaining.
The Bulldogs, who shot 30 percent (10-of-33) in the first half, trailed by 10, 24-14, with 10:20 remaining in the half, but battled back and trimmed the margin to 29-23 after a
Dailin Smith triple with 5:55 left.
The Lions stretched the advantage to 33-24 with 4:47 remaining, but Alabama A&M answered, cutting the lead to 33-28 after a
William Tavares layup with less than three minutes to play.
North Alabama A&M controlled the final two minutes, outscoring AAMU, 12-3, as the Lions took a 40-30 advantage into the break.
UNA opened the second half strong, extending its lead to 45-30 after a 3-pointer by Tim Smith Jr. with 18:36 remaining.
Alabama A&M responded on a 5-0 run, capped by a
Dailin Smith layup, cutting the margin to 45-37 with 17:30 left.
The Bulldogs continued to remain within distance, but a dunk by Micah Clark, followed by a free throw pushed the UNA lead back to double digits, 51-41, with 14 minutes to play.
North Alabama used 15-6 run over the next six minutes, extending the advantage to 66-47 after a layup by Johnson with 8:13 remaining.
Alabama A&M could not recover from the huge deficit as the Bulldogs dropped its season opener.
GAME NOTES
- Alabama A&M shot 36 percent (20-of-56) from the floor and 64 percent (23-of-36) from the free-throw line
- The Bulldogs registered 37 rebounds, with 22 coming on the defensive glass
- Dailin Smith recorded 15 points and four rebounds
- Anthony Bryant tallied 12 points, three boards, three assists and one steal
- Caleb Blackwell added nine points, one assist and one steal
- The Bulldogs finished with 40 bench points, 26 points in the pain, 12 fastbreak points, 12 points off 16 UNA turnovers and 11 second-chance points
- North Alabama went 26-of-54 shooting (48 percent) and 23-of-27 (85 percent) from the charity stripe
- The Lions registered 37 rebounds, with 28 on the defensive glass
- Kj Johnson recorded 16 points
- Jacari Lane added 15 points, assists and one steal
- Josiah Fulcher registered 12 points, eight boards and three steals
- Damian Forrest pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds
- The Lions finished with 33 bench points, 28 points in the paint, 27 fastbreak points, 24 points off 17 AAMU turnovers and nine second-chance points
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M continues its road swing as the Bulldogs visit Lipscomb on Saturday, Nov. 18. Tip-off against the Bisons is set for 12 p.m. from Allen Arena.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics, check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics) and Twitter (@_aamuathletics).
