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Shorthanded No. 12 Michigan State basketball falls to No. 18 Alabama

The No. 12 Michigan State men's basketball team fell to No. 18 Alabama in the opening round of the Phil Knight Invitational, 81-70, on Thursday night in Portland, Oregon.

The Spartans drop 3-2 on the season, while the Crimson Tide remains undefeated at 5-0.

The game started out in favor of Alabama. Turnovers plagued the Spartans, with forward Joey Hauser committing two on back-to-back possessions.

Alabama sophomore center Charles Bediako took advantage with two alley-oop dunks, and a third dunk from freshman forward Noah Clowney helped stake the Tide to an early 6-2 lead. The narrative changed with the snap of the fingers.