Alabama Alabama/Washington Washington Men's College Basketball recap on ESPN

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (AP) -- For the second game in as many days, Rod Grizzard provided the bulk of offense for Alabama (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP).

The 6-foot-8 sophomore guard scored 26 points Thursday night in the unbeaten Crimson Tide's 69-60 victory over Washington in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic.

Alabama (9-0) will meet Cincinnati (No. 20, No. 22), which beat Clemson 88-80, in Friday night's championship game.

"We're a different team when Rod shoots the ball well and without putting pressure on him, we're just better when he shoots the ball well," Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said.

Grizzard, who had a career-high 29 points in Alabama's 64-56 opening-round win over Northern Iowa, scored six points in an 11-0 run that broke it open for the Crimson Tide against the Huskies (5-4), giving them a 63-53 lead with 1:25 to play.

Terrance Martin hit a 3-pointer that started the late run and Grizzard added a 3-pointer and a three-point play, the latter capping the burst.

"Coach has just told me to be more aggressive to get us started and that's what I've done," Grizzard said. "It's not necessarily taking more shots but taking the open shot when it's there and driving more than settling for the jump shot."

Erwin Dudley added 14 points for Alabama, which closed the game by going 6-for-8 from the free- throw line over the final 1:02. Dudley and Grizzard each had eight rebounds.

This was the first time this season Alabama had to come from behind.

"I like what I saw. I thought our players dug down. Washington came right at us and took the game to us and our guys needed to respond and we did," Gottfried said. "The right guys had the ball at the right time and took the right shots."

Senior forward Thalo Green, who had a career-high 20 points in the opening-round win over American University of Puerto Rico, led the Huskies with 15 points, while Marlos Shelton added 13.

"We came out and had a great flow and rhythm when they were in man, getting easy baskets. They went zone and that made a difference for us," Washington coach Bob Bender said. "We kept changing things up and didn't let them get hot in transition but then it came down to, as in all close games, that one team made the big plays. They did and we didn't."

Washington took its first lead since early in the second half at 53-52 on Curtis Allen's 3-pointer with 4:59 left. Those were his first points of the game and Washington's last for 3:43 as Alabama started the deciding run.

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