By By Mark Etheridge / special to the star
Jan. 6, 2003
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Last week in Utah, Mark Gottfried's team got a taste of what a raucous crowd can mean in a close ballgame as his squad lost its first game and number one national ranking.
In the postgame interviews, Gottfried implored his own crowd for support. What Gottfried and Alabama got was a sellout crowd and a big home win of their own over 19th ranked Xavier 65-58.
Xavier's superstar forward, David West, was impressed with the atmosphere at Coleman.
The game also featured a matchup between two of the nation's top big men, Alabama's Erwin Dudley and Xavier's David West. West appeared to be on his way to a showcase game with 16 points and eight rebounds in the first half.
The Tide clamped down on the 6-foot-9 senior shutting him out in the second half. West played all forty minutes but did collect a single point nor board after intermission.
Dudley responded from a subpar outing in Utah with another double-double. The senior scored 18 points and grabbed ten rebounds for Alabama, now 10-1. He also locked up West for much of the second half.
player. I am a great player. We just wanted to go out just guard him like we are supposed to do."
So what did West think of Dudley who is the reigning SEC
Player of the Year?
Dudley was impressed with West before shutting him down in the second half.
He was shooting the ball."
Freshman forward Chuck Davis was also instrumental in checking the workhorse West.
first half I thought he was going to slaughter us but we came out in the second half and we did a good job. We helped on him more. We didn't let him go one-on-one.
Dudley finished with 18 points and ten rebounds. West ended his night with 16 points and 8 rebounds. West played all forty minutes compared to Dudley's 34.