T he S ports L edger
PAGE 9 www.TheSportsLedger.com
MARCH 2023
Alabama Wins SEC Championship
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger The fourth ranked University of Alabama men’s basketball team defeated No. 18 Texas A&M, 82-63, on Sunday, March 12 to win the 2023 SEC Tournament. The win marked the program's eighth SEC Tournament championship in school history. "It was a hard-fought contest. Hard to open the thing up. I mean, they're a tough, great team. We just lost to them eight days ago. We challenged our guards, we had to do better. Last time we played them, their starting backcourt with (Wade) Taylor, (Tyrece) Radford and (Dexter) Dennis were all in double figures. So, we really challenged our guards, we had to do better. I thought we did a great job on some of the opposing team's best players in this tournament. Couldn't be happier for the guys. Our bus ride home from Nashville will be a lot
more fun now that we got a win," said Alabama Head Basketball Coach Nat Oats. Alabama extended its record setting win total to 29 games. The Crimson Tide also surpassed the all-time record for points scored in a season. Brandon Miller lead the Crimson Tide with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. He also had four assists and three steals in the SEC tournament championship to help him earn MVP Honors. Teammate Jahvon Quinerly, the 2021 SEC Tournament MVP, and Charles Bediako were also named to the all-tournament team. Quinerly had 22 points, while Bediako had a double- double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Texas A&M had three players in double figures. Dexter Dennis paced the Aggies with 14 points. Wade Taylor IV had 13 points, and Tyrece Radford scored 12 points in the loss.
Alabama is shown celebrating after the program's SEC Tournament Championship on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Following the tournament, the Crimson Tide earned the No.1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament for the first time in school History. The program has now reached the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. It’s the first time that has happened in over 30 years dating back to 1989-92. In the NCAA Tournament, Alabama earned a 96-75 first round win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi and a 73-51 second round victory over Maryland. Crimson Tide Earns No. 1 Tournament Overall Spot Photo Courtesy Alabama Athletics
NCAA Tournament
Sports Column By Brandon K. Pierce The opening round of the 2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament had its share of both excitement and disappointment. Top ranked Purdue fell to FCU 63-58, Furman upset Virgina 68-67 and Princeton knocked off second seed Arizona 59-55. For those who follow teams in the SEC, Miss State and Texas A&M fell in the first round, while Auburn and Kentucky lost in the second round. Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas all advanced to the Sweet 16. Both Alabama and Auburn were playing in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, which from fan comments was more than a little disappointing. No, I am not talking about the game, as both the Crimson Tide and Tigers earned victories in the opening round. So what was disappointing? Many fans, especially those from out of state, were disappointed in the lack of things to do in Birmingham, especially at night. But what should they expect, this is Alabama. One good thing about the first round is at least no one got shot, given the recent crime and shooting sprees in the Magic City.
Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl gives instructions to his team during last year's NCAA Tournament in Greenville, SC. Auburn reached the tournament again this year, and the Tigers earned an 83-75 opening round victory over Iowa. However, the Tigers fell to Houston 81-64 in the second round. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Photo Courtesy of Ann Nelson Photography
The Cornerstone Christian JV Girls basketball team recently won the 2022-23 ACAA 2A Junior High State Championship. Cornerstone defeated Pineview 46-40 in the championship. The program reached the state finals with a 37-16 victory over Russell. The Cornerstone Christian junior high team members include: No. 13 Bella Miller; No. 45 Brielle Miller, No. 22 Jaylee Brown, No. 2 Tamia Ballard, No. 30 Lily Dupree, No. 15 Kendall Coots, and No. 1 Shelby Wright. Tamia Ballard was named the tournament's MVP and Kendall Coots earned All-tournament honors. Cornerstone Christian is coached Kaitlyn Coots Jones. Cornerstone Junior High Girls Win State Title
The Sports Ledger had hoped to bring our readers live coverage from the Birmingham tournament. However, like most other athletic events related to covering Alabama and Auburn, we could not get media credentials. But, look on the bright side, we did get to cover the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, SC last year, to bring you coverage of both Auburn and JSU.
It's more then a little strange that a media organization has to go out of the state in order to cover some of the local teams in the state. So, yes that's a public complaint and one that needs to be addressed by officials at Alabama and Auburn. To find out more about the NCAA tournament, check out the web site at www.thesportsledger.com.
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