Men's Wheelchair Basketball Sweeps Jalapenos Invitational

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The Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team held off a second-half rally in its fourth and final game of the Jalapeno’s Invitational.

The Crimson Tide’s 53-51 victory over the Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets on the evening of Nov. 11 completed their 4-0 performance in the Invitational that was held at home at Stran-Hardin Arena on Nov. 10 and 11.


Alabama beat the Charlotte Rollin' Hornets 53-51 to cap a 4-0 performance in the Jalapenos Invitational
(photo courtesy of Alabama Adapted Athletics)

Alabama held a 10-point (26-16) halftime lead over the Rollin’ Hornets, and, despite being outscored by eight points and held to 34.6 percent (9/26) shooting, the Crimson Tide emerged victorious.

In that win, the Tide were led by Tim Houston’s 18 points, Gabe Taylor’s 12 points, and Eric Francis’ 13 rebounds.

Alabama opened the Jalapenos Invitational with another single-digit victory over the Rollin’ Hornets on the evening of Nov. 10, winning 58-49.

Houston (15 points and 11 rebounds) and Francis (11 points and 10 rebounds) both had double-doubles in the win, and Taylor added 10 points.

See also: Connections Abounded in Alabama vs. Legends Matchup

The Tide’s tournament-closing win ended a three-game day that started with a 72-33 win over Lakeshore that morning.


Alabama's biggest win of the Jalapenos came in an 87-33 win over Lakeshore on the morning of Nov. 11
(photo courtesy of Alabama Adapted Athletics)

Alabama followed that up with a 67-55 win over the Tampa Bay Strong Dogs behind a tournament-best 54.2 percent (32/59) shooting performance.

The Tide shot 62.1 percent (18/29) in the first half as they jumped out to a 37-25 halftime lead, a margin that stayed the same as both teams scored 30 points in the second half.

Alabama finishes the first stretch of the season with a 6-1 record, and a 1-0 record in the intercollegiate division with a 78-57 win over Auburn on Nov. 2.

The Crimson Tide’s next action will be at the Auburn University Tournament on Dec. 15 and 16 where they will play four games, all intercollegiate division games -- against the University of Arizona, Edinboro University, the University of Illinois, and Auburn University.

See also: Men's Wheelchair Basketball Season Preview

“That’s a good measuring stick for us before we go home for the Christmas Break,” coach Ford Burttram had said before the season about that tournament. “We get to really see where we’re at in the college division and how we stack up and if we’re headed in the right direction or if we need to make some adjustments.”

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