ORLANDO, Fla. – Alabama men’s basketball fell to No. 23 Xavier, 64-45, in the opening round of the AdvoCare Classic on Thanksgiving Day. With the loss, Alabama falls to 2-2 overall on the young season.
The Crimson Tide battled early but fell behind midway through the first half as Xavier went on 15-3 run over a five-minute stretch. Alabama was able to narrow the gap to three before the break, 27-24, but the Musketeers returned from the break with improved shooting. After shooting just 24.1 percent (7-of-29) in the first half, Xavier improved to 14-of-25 (56 percent) from the floor and 5-of-11 (45.