Sears started alongside Philon, Mallette, sophomore Jarin Stevenson and fifth-year Rutgers transfer center Clifford Omoruyi. Holloway and sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate came off the bench along with two freshmen in Derrion Reid (seven points, five rebounds, four turnovers, two blocks in 23 minutes) and Naas Cunningham (three points, one rebound in 10 minutes).

Alabama turned the ball over 10 times in the first half but out-rebounded Wake Forest, 27-16, to take a 46-38 lead at the break. The Tide cut its turnovers down to four after halftime but was out-rebounded, 19-17, in the second half.

Alabama, which is ranked No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press poll and was picked by media to win the SEC, will next play Memphis on October 28 in Huntsville’s Von Braun Center for a second exhibition. The regular season begins November 4 in Coleman Coliseum against UNC-Asheville.

Oats said during SEC media day earlier this week that Wrightsell could return for the Memphis game and Sherrell for the UNC-Asheville game, while Youngblood is out until December. Nelson could miss both exhibition games, Oats said during a pre-recorded interview shown during Friday night’s broadcast.

About 2,000 fans attended Friday night’s game in the historic downtown Birmingham venue, which had not hosted a basketball game in more than 45 years. It marked a return trip for Wake Forest to Alabama, which traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina last October for an exhibition against the Demon Deacons that the Tide lost.