TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Though the final score didn't show it, Alabama coach Mark Gottfried saw the 19th-ranked Crimson Tide's 76-54 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday night as a close one.
The Islanders, a Division I independent, got as close as two points midway through the second half before the Tide's defense finally took charge and closed the game with a 24-4 run.
"I though our defense in the last five or six minutes of the game was really good," Gottfried said. "Our team, on defense is getting there. We aren't there yet -- we just need to sustain what we are doing, like we did those last few minutes."
Kennedy Winston led Alabama (10-1) with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Earnest Shelton had 19 points and Chuck Davis added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Aaron White led the Islanders (7-2) with 13 points and Thomas Bailey added 11.
Alabama closed the first half on a 5-0 run to take a 35-27 lead. The Crimson Tide had the lead to 16 points less than three minutes into the second half, but the Islanders were able to get back within 52-50 before the deciding run.
"We did not execute," Corpus Christi coach Ronnie Arrow said on missing the chance to tie the game or take the lead. "Alabama got more physical. ... We took too many bad shots. We did not score enough. We had too many droughts."
Winston was 11-for-18 from the field.
"I knew we had to make something happen," he said. "We found a breakdown in their zone in the last seven or eight minutes and that was the difference in the game."
While Gottfried credited Corpus Christi as a "well-coached" team, Shelton said Alabama may have underestimated its opponent early on. Although the Tide led for most of the game, Corpus Christi always stayed within striking distance. Alabama held a 10-point lead in the first half that the Islanders cut to three just 3:35 before halftime.
"Once we picked up the defensive intensity our shots started falling and we got the lead. It's tough to get motivated for games like this. We lacked intensity early," Shelton said.
Alabama used its size advantage to outrebound the Islanders 45-29, including 15-5 on the offensive end, and outscore them 26-16 in the paint.
