Bama Central

Live Updates From No. 12 Alabama Against No. 1 Arizona in C.M. Newton Classic

Score updates and analysis as the Crimson Tide takes on the Wildcats in Legacy Arena at BJCC.
Hunter De Siver|
Alabama vs. Arizona in Legacy Arena at BJCC
Alabama vs. Arizona in Legacy Arena at BJCC | BamaCentral

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Alabama Crimson Tide

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 12 Alabama will play its 10th game of the regular season on Saturday night against No. 1 Arizona in Birmingham for the C.M. Newton Classic.

This is a return neutral-site game from the 2023-24 season when these two programs played in Phoenix. Arizona won that contest 87-74 on Dec. 20, 2023.

The Crimson Tide is 2-2 against top-10 teams this season, and Saturday's game will be its first this year against the top-ranked program in the latest AP Top 25. Nevertheless, this is far from the first time that Alabama head coach Nate Oats has gone head-to-head with the AP No. 1 team, as he's 3-4 since his arrival in 2019.

Follow along for live updates and analysis from Legacy Arena at BJCC. Be sure to refresh your browser as the most recent events will be placed at the top of this page.

FINAL: Arizona 96, Alabama 75

Second Half

  • TIMEOUT (2:51 2H): Arizona 89, Alabama 71: A large majority of the seats are now empty as Arizona fans have taken over with "U of A" chants.
  • TIMEOUT (3:09 2H): Arizona 89, Alabama 69: Gotta give some credit to Labaron Philon Jr. and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. as the duo has combined for 45 points.
  • Aiden Sherrell went to the locker room with about six minutes remaining in regulation.
  • TIMEOUT (7:37 2H): Arizona 78, Alabama 56: Alabama fans have started to hit the exits. The Crimson Tide has no answers on either end of the floor.
  • TIMEOUT (10:41 2H): Arizona 67, Alabama 51: Arizona is dominating on all fronts. The Wildcats are outscoring the Crimson Tide 28-10 this half and lead 20 (TWENTY) to 2 in offensive rebounds.
  • Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. went to the locker room. He was using a massage gun on his leg late in the first half.
  • Offensive rebounds with 14 minutes remaining in the second half: Arizona 19, Alabama 2...Arizona has 11 second-chance points.
  • TIMEOUT (15:58 2H): Arizona 49, Alabama 45: Really slow start for Alabama in the second half. Amari Allen just ended a 10-0 run by Arizona. The Crimson Tide trail 13-2 in the offensive rebounds category. A story from this game.
  • Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat both have three fouls for Arizona with 17 minutes remaining in the second half.

5 Standout Halftime Stats From Alabama vs. Arizona

  • Aiden Sherrell has 4 of Alabama's 9 blocks
  • Labaron Philon + Latrell Wrightsell = 24 points
  • Arizona leads 11-2 on offensive rebounds
  • Alabama only has five players who've scored
  • Alabama freshmen combined for 0 points

HALFTIME: Alabama 41, Arizona 39

Alabama vs. Arizona Halftime Stats
Alabama vs. Arizona Halftime Stats | StatBroadcast

First Half

  • Wrightsell was using a massage gun on his leg behind the bench with trainer Clarke Holter. Wrightsell has dealt with a lower-leg injury this season. He was then jumping around after and seems good to go.
  • TIMEOUT (3:42 1H): Alabama 37, Arizona 35: Alabama hasn't scored in the last 3:20 but still maintains the lead. Labaron Philon Jr. and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. have combined for 22 of the Crimson Tide's points.
  • Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell is up to four blocks...with five minutes left in the first half...against the No. 1 team in America.
  • TIMEOUT (7:16 1H): Alabama 34, Arizona 30: Legacy Arena is absolutely rocking as Alabama holds a small lead over the No. 1 team in the country. Perhaps the biggest stat disparity is in the blocks category... Alabama 7, Arizona 0.
  • 12-3 run for Alabama as it takes its first lead (24-22) since it was 3-0 to start the game.
  • TIMEOUT (11:43 1H): Arizona 22, Alabama 19: Taylor Bol Bowen has looked good in the first half as he's up to an Alabama-best seven points and has one of the Crimson Tide's five blocks. Arizona 5-star freshman forward Koa Peat has two fouls and is on the bench.
  • Legacy Arena at BJCC is a full crowd and it is LOUD. There's a good amount of Arizona fans making noise as well.
  • Aiden Sherrell has looked really solid to start this one. In the last 20 seconds, he's gotten an alley-oop finish, block and rebound.
  • TIMEOUT (14:24 1H): Arizona 19, Alabama 12: Alabama is hanging in there to start this one, but the Wildcats are on a 12-2 run. The rebounding battle is currently even at six apiece and Labaron Philon Jr. leads the Crimson Tide with four points.
  • Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell gets the scoreboard running with a three.

Pregame:

  • Jaden Bradley was booed after his name was announced as a starter. The Arizona guard played for the Crimson Tide in 2022-23 before transferring.

Starting Lineups:

Alabama
G Labaron Philon Jr.
G Aden Holloway
G Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
F Taylor Bol Bowen
F Aiden Sherrell

Arizona
G Jaden Bradley
G Brayden Burries
F Ivan Kharchenkov
F Koa Peat
C Motiejus Krivas

  • Crimson Tide junior guard Aden Holloway, who has missed the last two games with a right wrist injury, is in tonight's starting lineup.
  • Alabama head coach to CTSN: "I think Noah Williamson is coming along. He's playing a lot better in practice this week. Hopefully we can get some quality minutes out of him."
  • Alabama will be facing Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, who was a member of the Crimson Tide as a freshman during the 2022-23 season. Bradley is currently averaging 14.5 points per game.
  • Alabama guard Aden Holloway warming up after missing the last two games with a wrist injury.
  • Alabama forward Keitenn Bristow warming up while wearing an an ankle brace.
  • Alabama will have guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and forward Keitenn Bristow for tonight's game against Arizona, and guard Aden Holloway is likely to play, per Field of 68's Jeff Goodman.

How to Watch: 2025 C.M. Newton Classic

Who: No. 12 Alabama (7-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. No. 1 Arizona (8-0, 0-0 Big 12)

What: Alabama's 10th game of the regular season (sixth on the road/neutral site)

When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 8:30 p.m. CT

Where: Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, Ala.

TV: ESPN

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Bryan Passink). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

SiriusXM: Channel 190 (Alabama), Channel 198 (Arizona)

Series: Alabama leads 3-2 with the first matchup occurring on March 15, 1985.

Last Meeting: The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 87-74 on Dec. 20, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. Grant Nelson (17 points), Sam Walters (15), Mark Sears (12) and Aaron Estrada's (11) double-digit scoring performances were far from enough as Arizona had five players reach 10-plus points while committing four fewer turnovers.

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide dismantled UTSA 97-55 at home on Dec. 7. Alabama guard Jalil Bethea led the way with 21 points in his first game with impactful minutes this season. The Miami transfer missed the first seven games after suffering a foot injury during a practice in mid-September. Additionally, sophomore Labaron Philon Jr. and freshman London Jemison each scored 20 points. Philon was also named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday for the third time this season, as he also thrived against Clemson on Dec. 3.

Last time out, Arizona: The then-No. 2 Wildcats were propelled to No. 1 after they blew out then-No. 20 Auburn 97-68 at home on Dec. 6. Freshman forward Koa Peat led the way with 18 points, but guards Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley also shined with 16 apiece. Forward Ivan Kharchenkov scored 12 points but also led Arizona in assists (8) and steals (3). Tahaad Pettiford dropped 30 points for Auburn, but Keyshawn Hall (13) was the only other player to tally double figures.

Alabama Stat Leaders

  • Points: Labaron Philon Jr. (21.4 on 56.6 FG%)
  • Rebounds: Amari Allen (7.7, including 1.4 offensive)
  • Assists: Labaron Philon Jr. (5.4 with 2.8 turnovers)

Arizona Stat Leaders

  • Points: Koa Peat (15.9 on 56.3 FG%)
  • Rebounds: Tobe Awaka (10.0, including 3.9 offensive)
  • Assists: Jaden Bradley (3.8 with 1.6 turnovers)

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Hunter De Siver
HUNTER DE SIVER

Hunter De Siver is the lead basketball writer for BamaCentral and has covered Crimson Tide football since 2024. He previously distributed stories about the NFL and NBA for On SI and was a staff writer for Missouri Tigers On SI and Cowbell Corner. Before that, Hunter generated articles highlighting Crimson Tide products in the NFL and NBA for BamaCentral as an intern in 2022 and 2023. Hunter is a graduate from the University of Alabama, earning a degree in sports media in 2023.

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