Labaron Philon scored 25 points and No. 15 Alabama passed an early-season non-conference test with a 103-96 victory over fifth-ranked St. John’s on Saturday afternoon.
Philon helped Alabama clinch the win with a deep 3-pointer for a 98-88 lead with two minutes remaining. He shot 10 of 17 from the field in his second straight strong performance as Alabama took control late in the first half, withstood a comeback and executed in the final minutes.
Aden Holloway added 21 points after sitting out the season opener with a wrist injury as the Crimson Tide (2-0) shot 48.1%. Taylor Bowen Bol and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. contributed 17 points each for Alabama, which impressively started a run of four straight games against ranked teams. It will face top-ranked Purdue, Illinois and Gonzaga after Saturday.
Holloway and Wrightsell were a combined 15-of-35 from the floor and hit six of Alabama’s 11 3-pointers in the Crimson Tide’s first appearance at Madison Square Garden since 2013-14.
“You got to have good kids, to start. They got to really want their teammates to do well. We stole a phrase from our softball team, ‘mudita,’ it’s vicarious joy. If you’ve got mudita, you literally have the same joy for your teammates’ success as you do for your own, so I think we have it,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said after the game. “You see these guys getting super excited for each other.”
Zuby Ejiofor scored 27 points for the Red Storm (1-1), who had a 12-game winning streak at MSG stopped. Bryce Hopkins added 19 and Ian Jackson finished with 14 as St. John’s shot 49.2% but missed 12 free throws.
Alabama ended the first half by outscoring St. John’s 16-6 and took a 53-44 halftime lead on a 3-pointer by Holloway at the buzzer. The Crimson Tide held a 10-point lead early in the second and St. John’s stormed back, getting an 81-80 lead on a 3-pointer by Joson Sanon with 8:13 left.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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