Story by Blake Sandlin
Sports Editor
It’s not often in basketball that a member of the losing team commands the bulk of attention, but sophomore guard Ja Morant defied that notion on Monday, Nov. 26, in a 78-72 loss to the University of Alabama.
Morant was a one-man wrecking ball for the Racers, hanging a new career-high of 38 points on the heads of the Crimson Tide, albeit in a losing effort. Morant also added nine rebounds and five assists, but committed 10 turnovers in the game.
The sophomore did everything he could to will his team to a win against the SEC superpower, scoring 12 points in the final 2:08 in the game to keep the Racers close, but Alabama’s showed its poise down the stretch, as it shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final minute of the game to thwart Murray State’s upset bid.
Nevertheless, Morant’s showing was captivating enough to leave the opposing team speechless in the Racer loss. Alabama Head Coach Avery Johnson remarked that Morant’s capabilities are comparable to the likes of NBA greats Isiah Thomas, John Stockton and Russell Westbrook.
“I saw flashbacks of a lot of guys I played against,” Johnson said. “Whether it was the old Isiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons’ Isiah Thomas, that craftiness and cleverness. John Stockton passing ability. Russell Westbrook athletic ability. My God. When I saw him on film, and to watch him play in person, it was better than what I saw on film.”
Avery Johnson on @igotgame_12 tonight:
“I saw flashbacks of a lot of guys I played against. Whether it was the old Isiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons’ Isiah Thomas, that craftiness and cleverness. John Stockton passing ability. Russell Westbrook athletic ability. My God.” pic.twitter.com/vJT30bXRVM
— Blake Sandlin (@BlakeSandlin) November 27, 2018
Alabama sophomore guard John Petty Jr. didn’t expect Morant to impact the game like he did, but said he lived up to the hype.
“We seen him on film. Nine times out of ten when we see a guy on film, they come into the building, they aren’t the same,” Petty said. “But he was the exact same as we seen on film.”
The spectacular showing by Morant couldn’t salvage what was a sloppy, turnover-ridden affair. The Racers, while forcing 21 turnovers on Alabama, turned the ball over 18 times.
The Racers broke the game open with a 13-7 lead, but couldn’t weather a monstrous 19-5 run by the Crimson Tide. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Alabama had exercised its lead to 10, maintaining a 39-29 lead at the half.
Facing a double-digit deficit, Murray State didn’t cower to Alabama. The team stormed back almost immediately in the second half, using a 8-0 run right out of the gate to trim the deficit to just two. The Racers rallied and overtook the lead with 15:19 in the second half, but it wouldn’t last long.
With 9:10 remaining, Alabama used a 12-2 run to steal momentum and jump ahead to a 63-54 lead. The Racers were ultimately unable to dig themselves out of the hole despite two electric dunks by Morant down the stretch, and fell 78-72 to move to 3-1 on the year.
https://twitter.com/FrankieVision/status/1067254388719112192
Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon said the Racers had their chances, but Alabama’s defense foiled their attempts.
“Credit to Alabama, they did a terrific job of protecting the basket, especially in the first half,” McMahon said. “We had some opportunities to finish plays, we just weren’t able to do so. I thought Ja worked for everything he got, obviously he had an incredible game. I wish I could’ve helped them out more, get them in a few better positions there to get them some easier shots.”
Murray State will be back in action at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, when they face Prairie View at the CFSB Center.
