Late Run Helps Penn State Survive Against Alabama, 73-31

Despite numerous players trying to play through injuries, the Alabama men's basketball game at Penn State went down to the wire, but the Nittany Lions eventually pulled out 1 73-71 home victory on Saturday afternoon.

A late 9-1 run was the difference.

Graduate student guard Beetle Bolden (hand/wrist) came off the bench to lead the Crimson Tide in scoring with 15 points.

Junior forward Alex Reese (foot), junior forward/guard Herbert Jones (elbow), and junior forward Galin Smith (right ankle) were also trying to play through injuries. Reese had 12 points and eight rebounds, while Jones and six points and nine rebounds.

Despite the loss, Alabama (4-5) only had 10 turnovers, compared to 16 for the home team.

The Crimson Tide led by as many as nine points on two separate occasions, the last coming at 52-43 at the 15:28 mark of the second half. However, the Nittany Lions (9-2) had a 25-7 stretch for a 68-63 lead with a little over four minutes remaining.

After getting a defensive stop trailing 72-71, Alabama called timeout with 23.7 seconds to play. When the inbound play faltered, Reese would eventually get the ball and miss the shot but on the ensuing inbounds pass, Lewis stole the ball at half court and put up a half-court shot at the buzzer that was off the mark.

Lamar Stevens led Penn State with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Curtis Jones Jr. came off the bench to total 18 points and six rebounds. Myreon Jones had 17 points.

Alabama came into the game riding its first two-game winning streak of the season. following a 78-68 victory against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 6. UA, , also defeated Southern Miss, 83-68, in the final game of the Battle 4 Atlantis which was played back on Nov. 29.

It was only Alabama's second true road game of the season, the other being a 93-79 loss at Rhode Island on Nov. 15.

It was also part of the team's ongoing seven-game stretch with six contests away from Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama will next face Samford on Dec. 18 (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+) inside Legacy Arena in Birmingham, followed by the 2019 Rocket City Classic vs. Belmont in Huntsville (2:30 p.m., SEC Network) on on Dec. 21.