TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nate Oats promised 3-points shots and fast intensity. The Alabama basketball team delivered both in a 93-65 victory over Georgia Tech in the team’s lone charity exhibition of the preseason.

The Crimson Tide rained in a whopping 17 3s while forcing 24 turnovers as Oats netted his first victory in front of a crowd inside of Coleman Coliseum. After shooting just 6 of 19 from distance in the first half, Alabama came out of the break undeterred, hitting 11 of 18 from deep after the break.

“I just told them to keep shooting,” Oats said following the game. “I tell them that all the time. If it’s a good shot, like shoot it every time.”

Seven different Crimson Tide players hit 3s, including freshman Jaden Shackelford, who knocked down 6 of 10 shots from beyond the arc. Kira Lewis Jr., John Petty Jr. and Alex Reese all had three 3s apiece, while Herbert Jones and West Virginia transfer James “Beetle” Bolden also connected from range. Alabama’s 17 made 3s and 37 3-point attempts both topped season-highs from last year

Shackelford, a former four-star recruit, led the Crimson Tide with 21 points. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard got off to a hot start, hitting three of his first four shots from the permitter, helping to spur a 7-0 run to help Alabama begin to pull away midway through the first half. He also led the Crimson Tide with three steals on the afternoon.

“I think it’s just being comfortable,’ Shackelford said. “My teammates made me feel comfortable. To be in my first year, I’ve got a lot of guys telling me how it is to play in my first game. With Kira making great passes and me getting into the right spot, it just helped our team get better.”

Lewis, who was in Shackelford’s position last season, played the role of savvy veteran Sunday. The sophomore recorded 20 points on 8 of 14 shooting while also leading the team with eight assists and tying for a team lead with seven rebounds. Lewis seven boards are more than he recorded in a game during his freshman season.

“It was just playing in the flow of the game,” Lewis said. “I tried to get offensive rebounds when I had the chance to, found some teammates. And when we were getting stops, I just feel like we had our chance to get out and run. That’s when I feel like we’re at our best.”

Petty chipped in 15 points and five rebounds, while Reese had 9 points and seven rebounds. Alabama capitalized on 21 points off of turnovers and held a 14-5 advantage in fast-break points. Still Oats believes his team can pick up steam heading into the season.

“The pace, and again everybody’s telling me how great it was, and it was better than when we got here. But it’s going to get a lot faster,” Oats said. “Our guys are going to get in game shape and run the floor hard and sprint to the corners, be ready to play. So, it’s coming. It’s looking a lot more like want we want it to look like, but there’s tons of improvement to make here in the next couple months.

Alabama will open up its regular season on Nov. 5 when it hosts Penn at 7 p.m. inside of Coleman Coliseum. The Quakers finished fifth in the Ivy League last season, posting a 19-12 overall record with a 7-7 mark in conference.

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