TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Chuck Davis kept Alabama away from an early-season upset.
Davis scored a career-high 25 points and No. 18 Alabama held off North Texas 85-71 on Sunday.
"They gave us fits," Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. "I mean, we couldn't put them away. They were a team that was well prepared. They stepped up and made big shot after big shot and kept hanging in there.
"We never really got down to where it was in danger, but we never could pull away."
The Tide (2-0) shot 73 percent from the floor in the first half, making all five 3-point attempts, and led by as many as 22 before halftime.
Davis finished 8-of-10 from the field, 9-of-11 from the line and added seven rebounds and three blocked shots for the Tide, which will play in the Great Alaska Shootout on Wednesday.
"The guys did a good job of getting me the ball," Davis said. "They weren't doubling on the post and I felt like I could get good shots in one-on-one situations."
Earnest Shelton added 17 points for Alabama, making 3 of 4 3-pointers. Ronald Steele scored 14 points, and Kennedy Winston had 13.
Leonard Hopkins led North Texas (1-1) with 19 points. Leonard Jones had 18, and Calvin Watson scored 15. Watson and Jones made four 3-pointers apiece.
North Texas briefly cut the deficit to single digits with 13:32 left. Hopkins was fouled on a 3-point shot and hit all three free throws to make it 52-43, but Alabama scored the next seven points to seal the victory.
"I told my team they were going to make a run, and they did," said North Texas coach Johnny Jones, a former Alabama assistant. "They are a good team and that is what good teams do."
North Texas, coached by former Alabama assistant Johnny Jones, made 11 of 28 3-pointers but was outrebounded 36-24.
"We came out playing a little harder in the second half, got some great looks and knocked down some shots," Hopkins said. "But by the end of the game there just wasn't enough time."
