KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Rod Gizzard scored 16 points and No. 22 Alabama defeated No. 12 Memphis 81-70 Wednesday night in the consolation game at the Guardians Classic.
Erwin Dudley added 15 points, Maurice Williams and Terrance Meade each had 13 and Kenny Walker 11 for the Crimson Tide (3-1).
Gizzard, a 6-foot-8 junior guard who was second in the Southeastern Conference in scoring last season, had 12 points in the second half as Alabama pulled away.
Memphis freshman Dajuan Wagner scored 21 points, but was 0-for-7 on 3-point attempts. He shot 8-for-22 overall and fouled out with 25 seconds left.
Memphis (3-2) closed to 60-57 on Wagner’s basket with 7:02 left. But Alabama outscored the Tigers 14-2 over the next 4:30 to take a comfortable 74-59 lead with less than three minutes to play.
Tigers coach John Calipari was called for a technical during the Crimson Tide surge.
Williams’ 3-point basket, the only long shot made by either team in 15 attempts in the first half, gave Alabama a 33-25 lead.
The Tigers, however, outscored the Crimson Tide 9-1 in the remaining time and trailed just 36-34 at the break.
Chris Massie scored 12 points, all in the first half, for Memphis. Earl Barron came off the bench to score 12 points.
