Aden Holloway scored a game-high 20 points to lead five players in double figures as Alabama rolled to a 98-77 victory over Wake Forest in a charity exhibition game at Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium on Friday night.
Holloway, an Auburn transfer, hit five 3-pointers and also passed out six assists in his first game action as a member of the Crimson Tide. All-America guard Mark Sears added 19 points and six assists, as Alabama outscored Wake Forest 52-39 in the second half.
Freshman Labaron Philon chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Crimson Tide, while Jarin Stevenson and Mouhamed Dioubate each scored 10. Alabama made 19 of 46 3-point attempts in the game, 11 of 24 in the second half.
Four Alabama players — forwards Grant Nelson and Aiden Sherrell and guards Latrell Wrightsell and Chris Youngblood — sat out of the game with injuries, though only Youngblood (ankle) is expected to miss significant time once the regular season begins. Freshman forward Derrion Reid, troubled by a hand injury in the preseason, played 23 minutes Friday and finished with seven points, five rebounds and two blocks.
Alabama — coming off its first Final Four appearance and ranked No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press poll — took the lead for good at 21-18 on Philon’s 3-pointer at the 10:37 mark of the first half. The Crimson Tide built a 46-38 halftime lead and never led by fewer than five in the second half.
Hunter Sallis led Wake Forest with 16 points, while Omaha Biliew had 15 and Alabama transfer Davin Cosby 12 with four assists. The Demon Deacons made just 9 of 24 3-pointers and 10 of 20 free throws.
Alabama and Wake Forest met in an exhibition game for the second straight year. The Demon Deacons won 88-80 in Winston-Salem, N.C. last October.
Friday’s game was Alabama’s first in Boutwell Auditorium since an intrasquad scrimmage to open the 1979-80 season. The Crimson Tide will play a second exhibition game Oct. 28 vs. Memphis in Huntsville before opening the regular season at home Nov. 4 vs. UNC-Asheville.
