CHICAGO, ILL- Alabama defeated No. 8 Illinois 90-86 in a neutral-site game at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls. The Tide, trailing for the entire first half, was led by sophomore guard Labaron Philon, who scored 24 points.

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The game began with Illinois taking the lead after junior guard Kylan Boswell scored a tip-in layup. The Fighting Illini maintained this lead throughout the first half, but it never grew to double digits. Alabama kept the score close in this top-15 matchup, preventing Illinois from expanding its lead beyond seven points. This was highlighted when junior guard Andrej Stojakovic hit a jumper in the paint, bringing the score to 23-17 with 11:58 remaining in the first half.

Alabama remained competitive in this first half thanks to the performance of the Crimson Tide's bench, which contributed 21 of the team's 41 first-half points. Freshman forward Amari Allen was a standout player, finishing the half with eight points while shooting 3-for-5 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed five rebounds, including two offensive boards. By the end of the game, Allen finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

In the first half, the Crimson Tide's entire team performed well, with nine players contributing to the scoring and the team shooting 42.4% from the field. Both teams excelled from the three-point line, with Illinois hitting 40% of its attempts and Alabama shooting 38.1%. Each team made eight three-pointers, with senior guard Houston Mallette making the last one to close out the half. This basket gave Mallette six points for the half and brought the score to 42-41, with Alabama trailing by one point as they headed into the second half.

Alabama entered the second half energized and took its first lead with 18:25 remaining in the game, thanks to a driving layup by Philon. He had a remarkable second half, scoring 19 points, and finished Wednesday's game with 24 points, five assists, one steal, and 3-of-6 from three-point range. Additionally, Aden Holloway also stepped up in the second half, contributing eight points. He ended the game with 11 points, three assists, and three rebounds.

Alabama was able to hold on to this lead for most of the rest of the game, with the Crimson Tide growing this lead to nine with 9:27 remaining in regulation after the Tide went on an 8-0 run. This run was led by two three-pointers from sophomore forward Aiden Sherrell to make the score 64-55.

In the second half, Tarleston State transfer Keiten Bristow emerged as a significant contributor, showcasing his strong presence on the boards with eight rebounds, second only to Allen's 11. Bristow also scored 10 points and recorded one block, one assist, and one steal, all of which were vital to Alabama's victory.

Illinois kept the game competitive and came close in the final moments, narrowing the lead to just two points thanks to three quick baskets from Stojakovic, who had an outstanding performance, finishing with 26 points. The Fighting Illini’s guards played a crucial role in maintaining their competitiveness, highlighted by Stojakovic's performance and Boswell's impressive double-double, which included 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Illinois was trailing by only three points, with 3:43 left in regulation, after a 7-1 run had cut Alabama’s eight-point lead. From that point on, the game remained competitive, with both teams exchanging baskets. Despite this, Philon’s ten points in the last two and a half minutes kept Alabama in the lead. However, with just eight seconds left in regulation, Illinois was only down by two, thanks to a clutch three-pointer from senior forward Ben Humrichous, who finished the night with 11 points and six rebounds. That three-pointer made the score 87-85 with less than ten seconds remaining in the game.

After Philon made one of his two free throws, the Tide held only a one-possession lead. Fortunately for Philon, his teammates quickly responded by fouling Kylan Boswell, preventing him from having a chance to tie the game with a three-point shot. Boswell then went to the free-throw line but only made one of his attempts, bringing the score to 88-86 with seven seconds remaining in the game.

Illinois sent Mallette to the free-throw line, where the senior guard showed incredible composure by making both shots, ultimately securing the win for Alabama. Mallette finished the night with 10 points, contributing to a total of five players from the Tide who scored in double digits.

Alabama Players With Double-Figure Scoring

• Labaron Philon (24)
• Taylor Bol Bowen (12)
• Aden Holloway (11)
• Keiten Bristow (10)
• Houston Mallette (10)

Stat Leaders

• Points- Philon (24)
• Assists- Philon (5)
• Rebounds- Allen (11)
• Blocks-  Bol-Bowen (2)

Alabama will improve to 4-1 on the season, with the Crimson Tide’s next game being on Monday, November 24th, against No.13 Gonzaga at MGM Arena in Las Vegas in the 2025 Players Era Festival.

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