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Alabama basketball holds off Arkansas State in physical battle, 88-79

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Alabama basketball holds off Arkansas State in physical battle, 88-79


Alabama survived a physical grind of a game on Friday night at Coleman Coliseum, holding off Arkansas State 88-79.

The teams combined for 52 fouls and 80 free throw attempts, with the second-ranked Crimson Tide (2-0) going just 28-for-44 from the line. The game was tied with 7:08 left before Mouhamed Dioubate’s tip-in put Alabama on top for good at 70-68.

“That’s a really good team we just played,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “I thought they were well coached. They got great talent. Played hard. We needed to be pushed. I think they exposed some stuff we got to work on. They gave us everything they had. It was a tie game with seven minutes to go in the game.

“I think our guys have to realize, like the teams we put on the schedule, if we don’t play well, we don’t move the ball, we play selfish like I thought we did tonight at times, we’re not going to beat these teams. I thought we did a good enough job on the offensive glass and you know, defensively we were solid at times.”

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All-America guard Mark Sears scored 19 points for Alabama, while forward Grant Nelson had 12 off the bench. Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi added 12 points and a team-high 9 rebounds despite being limited to 17 minutes due to foul trouble.

Officials’ whistles were the story of the game’s first 20 minutes, during which the teams combined for 31 fouls and 53 free throws. Alabama’s Jarin Stevenson picked up four fouls in the first half, and finished with just 2 points and five rebounds in 10 minutes.

Alabama led by as many as 16 in the first half before Arkansas State — the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference — closed the gap to 43-40 at halftime. The Red Wolves — coached by former Alabama assistant Bryan Hodgson — never led after going up 5-4 early, but didn’t fall behind by two possessions permanently until Sears hit two free throws to make it 74-70 with 5:15 remaining.

“They exposed some stuff some stuff on the defensive side, but we really won the game on the offensive boards,” Oats said. “I mean, we had 21 second chance points and they only had seven. I thought we made a big point of emphasis on keeping them off the offensive boards, I thought we did a decent job of that.

“We did a good job of getting our offensive glass, but a lot of other areas we didn’t shoot it well, had a lot to do with them. We didn’t get out in transition very much, ended up with more fastbreak points than we did and it had a lot to do with them. I thought they had a good game plan defensively.”

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Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson works with his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alabama, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)AP

Freshman guard Labaron Philon also scored in double figures with 12 points, while Derrion Reid had 10 and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. added 9. Alabama made only six of 31 3-point attempts, with Sears going 0-for-5 and Wrightsell 1-for-9.

Kobe Julien — the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year — scored a game-high 20 points for Arkansas State (1-1), while Taryn Todd added 18 and Rashaud Marshall chipped in 11 points with 8 rebounds. The Red Wolves missed 13 free throws and went just 6-for-28 on 3-point attempts.

“A lot of their staff came from here, Brian was with me for eight years,” Oats said. “They’re doing a great job, that’s a really good roster. I thought Brian did a really good job tonight, they did a great job and I think they’re going to win a lot of games this year.”

Alabama hosts McNeese at 6 p.m. Monday. That game will air on SEC Network.

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South Alabama basketball outlasts New Mexico State 77-75, improves to 8-1

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South Alabama basketball outlasts New Mexico State 77-75, improves to 8-1


South Alabama scored the final seven points in a 77-75 victory over New Mexico State on Tuesday night in Katy, Texas.

The Jaguars (8-1) scored all seven of those points at the free-throw line — four from Adam Olsen, two from Chaze Harris and one from Randy Brady — in the final 2:02 of clock time. Elijah Elliott missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Aggies (6-1) suffered their first loss of the year.

Olsen scored 21 points to lead the way for South Alabama, which is off to its best 9-game start in program history. Peyton Law added 18 points and three blocks, while Harris had 17 points — going 11-for-11 from the line.

South Alabama made 32 of 39 free throws in the game, with Law and Olsen each going 6-for-7 and Brady — who had eight points and a team-best seven rebounds — going 5-for-7.

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Jaylen Randall scored 21 points for New Mexico State, while Elliott had 18 — all on 3-pointers. Jamel Jones added 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

South Alabama stays on the road Friday, traveling to East Tennessee State for a 6 p.m. Central game that will stream live via ESPN+.



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Bonnaroo 2026 lineup includes Athens standouts Jessie Murph, Alabama Shakes

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Bonnaroo 2026 lineup includes Athens standouts Jessie Murph, Alabama Shakes


Two of Alabama’s greatest musical exports are set to perform at the 2026 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival: Rising young pop star Jessie Murph and legacy band Alabama Shakes, both from Athens.

Bonnaroo ’26 is scheduled for June 11-14 in Manchester, Tenn., about a 90-minute drive from Huntsville, Alabama. The festival’s headliners will include the deejays Skrillex and Griz, rock bands The Stokes, Turnstile and The Neighborhood, dance group Rufus Du Sol, country rapper Teddy Swims, singer/songwriters Noah Kahan and Role Model, and classic pop act Kesha.

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. central Friday via bonnaroo.com. Prices start at $389 for four-day general admission and go up to $899 for VIP and $3,995 for “platinum.”

Four-day “Roo Insider” tickets — with perks like front-of-stage viewing, private golf cart transport, artist lounge access, air-conditioned tent accommodations plus all platinum, VIP and GA amenities — start at a princely $27,500.

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Born in Huntsville and raised in Athens, Jessie Murph is known for songs like “Blue Stripes,” “Touch Me Like a Gangster” and “1965.” The 21-year-old singer mixes Lana Del Rey’s sultry charisma and cinematic sound, young Priscilla Presley’s look, and a country drawl filtered through Amy Winehouse’s rap-swagger.

Alabama Shakes were founded in Athens about five years after Murph was born. Led by dynamic 37-year-old singer Brittany Howard, the Shakes are known for 2010s rock-and-soul songs like “Hold On,” “Always Alright” and Grammy winner “Don’t Wanna Fight.”

This summer, Howard (who went solo in 2019) and Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell (who’d been part of Howard’s solo band) reconnected with Shakes guitarist Heath Fogg for a lucrative amphitheater tour.

But it’s been a “three-union,” not a true reunion. The Shakes’ original drummer Steve Johnson was left out of the tour, telling AL.com he’d been ousted from the band due to legal issues he had during the band’s hiatus. In late August, Alabama Shakes 2.0 released “Another Life,” the band’s first new song in eight years.

In addition to Murph and Alabama Shakes, notable Bonnaroo ’26 undercard acts include Rock’s Latest Great Hope, the British singer known as Yungblood. There’s also hot indie/punk groups like Geese, Wet Leg and Amy & The Sniffers and classic rockers Wolfmother, Modest Mouse and Blues Traveler.

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Rap’s represented by stars like Vince Staples and Lil Jon, and electronic music by the likes of Major Lazer. Meanwhile, Tedeschi Trucks Band harkens back to Bonnaroo’s jam-band origins.

Weather truncated Bonnaroo’s 2025 edition. The festival was also canceled in 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic.

Creole slang for “the good stuff,” Bonnaroo debuted in 2002 and is held on a 700-acre farm. Attendance at the festival has ranged from around 70,000 for the 2012 debut to around 100,000 in 2012 and down to an estimated 45,000 or so in 2016. The last full Bonnaroo, held in 2024, drew around 70,000, according to the Nashville Tennessean.

Past headliners have included Beastie Boys, White Stripes, Jay-Z, Phish, Paul McCartney, Kendrick Lamar, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Dave Matthews Band, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, The Police, Radiohead, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder and Metallica.

C3 Presents is the production company for Bonnaroo. Their other festival productions have included Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Atlanta’s Shaky Knees and New Orleans’ Voodoo Music + Arts Experience.

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C3 also helmed South Star, a Huntsville festival, which debuted in 2024 with acts like Gwen Stefani, Tom Morello and TLC. South Star was cut short due to weather and didn’t return to Huntsville for 2025.



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NFL Monday night: Former Alabama prep star becomes league career leader

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NFL Monday night: Former Alabama prep star becomes league career leader


Marcus Jones returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown to send the New England Patriots on their way to a 33-15 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night.

With its 10th consecutive victory, New England became the first NFL team to reach 11 wins in the 2025 season.

Jones’ touchdown return came off a 54-yard punt by New York’s Jamie Gillan and put the Patriots ahead 10-0 with 5:17 left in the first quarter as they raced to a 30-7 halftime lead.

The punt return was the 75th of Jones’ career, qualifying the former Enterprise High School and Troy standout for the NFL’s career record book, and his 14.63-yards-per-return average went to No. 1 in league history.

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Jones replaced George McAfee, who averaged 12.78 yards on 112 punt returns for the Chicago Bears from 1940 through 1950, with three years missed for military service in World War II.

Later in the game, Jones had punt returns of 17 and 13 yards, bringing his all-time best average to 14.64 yards.

Only twice in NFL history has a player from an Alabama high school or college had a longer punt-return touchdown than Jones did on Monday night.

On Nov. 24, 1968, San Diego Chargers cornerback Speedy Duncan from Druid High School in Tuscaloosa returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in a 37-15 loss to the New York Jets in an AFL game.

On Jan. 1, 2017, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill from West Alabama returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in a 37-27 victory over the Chargers.

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The third punt-return touchdown of Jones’ career was his second of 2025. Jones returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown during a 42-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 28.

Jones’ Monday-night effort tied the franchise record for the longest punt-return touchdown, equaling Julian Edelman’s 94-yarder in a 38-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 2, 2011.

New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 24-of-31 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions on Monday night.

New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis breaks up a pass during an NFL game against the New York Giants on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

In addition to Jones, who started at cornerback for the Patriots, seven other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the New York-New England game:

  • Christian Barmore (Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Patriots. Barmore made five tackles.
  • Carlton Davis (Auburn) started at cornerback for the Patriots. Davis made five tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up two passes.
  • Patriots tight end CJ Dippre (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
  • Cor’Dale Flott (Saraland) started at cornerback for the Giants. Flott made five tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
  • Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville, Alabama) made two tackles on defense, recorded one tackle for loss and had one tackle on special teams.
  • Giants offensive linebacker Evan Neal (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Giants defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Central-Phenix City) made one tackle.
  • Patriots safety Dell Pettus (Sparkman, Troy) did not record any stats.
  • Darius Slayton (Auburn) started at wide receiver for the Giants. Slayton had two receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown. Slayton’s first touchdown of the 2025 season came on a 30-yard pass from quarterback Jaxson Dart as New York reduced New England’s lead to 17-7 with 12:46 left in the first half. Slayton also caught a 2-point conversion pass after New York’s second touchdown.
  • Patriots wide receiver Jeremiah Webb (South Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (Hueytown) dressed for the game but did not play. Winston had started the previous two games and thrown for 567 yards in a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 16 and a 34-27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions on Nov. 23. Winston returned to the sideline with the return of rookie QB Jaxson Dart from a concussion.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

New England (11-2) does not play against until Dec. 14 as the Patriots enter their bye week. New England will return against the Buffalo Bills at noon CST Dec. 14 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

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New York (2-11) also is set for its open date in Week 14 of the NFL season. The Giants return against the Washington Commanders at noon Dec. 14 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton scores a touchdown during an NFL game against the New England Patriots on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton scores a touchdown during an NFL game against the New England Patriots on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.(AP Photo/Steven Senne)



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