By. Brett Greenberg
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Ortega with the score! Bridges for three!
Statements that were said multiple times throughout the weekend at the Piggly Wiggly Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Stran-Hardin Arena was rocking nearly twenty minutes before the scheduled 6:45 p.m. CDT start time.
The Million Dollar Band plays the university fight song as the Crimson Tide come on to the floor.
Fans start to pile into the stands. Not a spectator in site without a Coca-Cola in one hand and a bag of popcorn in the other.
It was finally game time and the Crimson Tide faithful finally got to watch their team play for the first time in roughly two weeks.
The Tide did not disappoint. The team came out playing fast with plenty of defensive intensity. Coach Burttram and Coach Burns looked on and realized that the two weeks of practice translated.
Burttram and Burns were quiet on the sidelines. Silence can sometimes be a good thing from a coach and in this instance, it was.
Over the past two weeks, communication and defensive intensity were stressed greatly and it was evident in the team's showing Friday night.
Two players made their presence felt on the court in particular.
Ignacio Ortega (#24), a starting sophomore, was able to get to the basket and score whenever he wanted.
Ortega quickly realized there was no opposition for when he wanted to cut and drive to the basket. He rattled off three quick buckets in the first five minutes and did not look back scoring 11 of the Tide's first 12 points, ultimately ending up with 37 points.
Ortega was able to shoot from the perimeter, set others up for success and drive to the basket.
Lindy Bridges (#3), a graduate student, was also able to get exactly what he wanted on the offensive side of the court.
Bridges totaled 15 points in the first half and continued his effort into the second half scoring another 10+ points in the final twenty minutes of the game.
Ortega is currently averaging 25.1 ppg on 55.9% shooting from the field, while Bridges is currently averaging 15.9 ppg on 45.6% shooting from the field.
This game also made it clear to the coaches and fans that any player can take over a game if need be.
Co-Captains Rashad Bennett (#32) and Ryan Jansen (#15) were not as impactful on the court in their game against the Sharks, but still made their presence felt from the sidelines.
Bennett and Jansen offered both advice encouragement on and off the court, whether they were scoring or not.
Ft. Lauderdale was gassed by the second part of the second half, understandably so, and the Crimson Tide ultimately pulled away in the final ten minutes of the game.
The final score was 80-45.
The Tide have a full practice schedule this week and look to carry over this momentum into next weekend when they take on UT-Arlington, Illinois and Auburn at Stran-Hardin Arena in the Bama by Distance Classic.
Stay tuned for updates regarding the Tide's preparation for the upcoming home tournament.
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