Alabama Men's Basketball Falls at VCU, 73-54

The Alabama men's basketball team fell at Virginia Commonwealth, 73-54 Saturday night to go to 6-3 on the season.

"VCU did a good job of taking us out of what we wanted to do," UA head coach Anthony Grant said. "They were able to build a lead that proved to be insurmountable. This is an opportunity for our team to learn and get better. Our focus right now is on our team and what we need to do to get better. We didn't do a good job of handling their pressure."

Alabama fell behind 11-2 early in the contest and was never able to recover. For the game, Alabama shot 39 percent (16-of-41) from the floor, including 27.2 percent (3-of-11) from three-point range.

Freshman forward Devonta Pollard led the Crimson Tide with 13 points and eight rebounds while sophomore guard Levi Randolph chipped in 10 points.

Pollard made five of his seven attempts from the floor and was 3-for-4 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Rodney Cooper and junior guard Trevor Releford added nine points each.

"I would rather find out in December what direction we need to go as a basketball team moving forward," Grant said. "When you play teams like this, it gives you a chance to find out who you are and where you have to go as a team."

Alabama remains on the road for its next contest, traveling to Lubbock, Texas to take on Texas Tech Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. CT. The Tide then returns home for a Dec. 22 game vs. Mercer, which gets underway at 1 p.m. CT. The games can be heard locally on 95.3 FM.

Alabama Men’s Basketball Falls at VCU, 73-54 Saturday