By Staff
Justin Schuver, Hartselle Enquirer
PELHAM – Priceville's Josh Bedwell was among the players who scored for Alabama at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game Friday night at the Pelham Civic Complex.
For the second straight year, Alabama's neighbor to the west took the victory, defeating the Alabama All-Stars 118-113.
Mississippi shot 18-of-33 from three-point range, a big reason for the visitors' success in the second-highest combined scoring output in the game's 17-year history.
"We knew we were in trouble after they hit their first shot," Bedwell joked.
Bedwell, who has committed to Samford University in Birmingham, scored six points in limited action in the first half of play. He did not play at all in the second half, but the Priceville senior was not too bothered about that fact.
"I wasn't too bothered about playing time, because I've already chosen a school," he said. "Some of these guys still haven't decided on a school and are still being scouted, so they deserve a chance to go out there and show what they can do."
Bedwell first entered the game at the 12:58 mark of the first half – the game had 20-minute halves rather than 8-minute quarters in normal high school play. His first points came with two free throws to put Alabama up 46-42 with 4:44 remaining.
Bedwell nailed a three-pointer with 2:07 left in the half to tie the game at 53-all, and his final point came on 1-of-2 free throws with 7 seconds left in the first half.
Wearing a red-and-white Alabama jersey, Bedwell stayed involved in the action even beyond just scoring. After getting double-teamed at one point in the first half, he made a fancy no-look bounce pass to Justin Knox, who scored an easy lay-up. Bedwell also pulled down four rebounds in a little less than nine minutes of playing time.
Knox led the Alabama team in scoring with 22 points. Five-foot-six Justin Ray of Gulfport, the shortest player on either team, had 25 points to lead the victors.
Following the game, Bedwell explained his choice to attend Samford, a Division-I school that competes in the Southern Conference and last made the NCAA Tournament in 2000. Like Priceville, Samford's teams are called the Bulldogs.
"I just really like the campus and the location," he said. "I got along well with their guys when I visited and it just seemed like a really nice fit for me."