Labaron Philon Jr. drives No. 4 Alabama over No. 13 Hofstra

Labaron Philon Jr. took over in the second half by scoring 21 of his game-best 29 points, and fourth-seeded Alabama rallied to win 90-70 over No. 13-seed Hofstra on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region in Tampa, Fla.

Sporting a bandage on his cut chin in the second half, Philon made 10 of 18 shots overall and added eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in the standout performance.

An 11½-point favorite playing without second-leading scorer Aden Holloway...