Wichita State's Grady stretchered off in loss to Alabama
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A scary injury overshadowed a second consecutive loss for No. 20 Wichita State.
Wichita State forward Anton Grady was hurt late in Alabama's 64-60 upset over the Shockers in the consolation round of the AdvoCare Invitational on Friday.
The game was delayed with 3:07 left in the second half when Grady fell face-first on the court. He was put on a backboard, taken off on a stretcher and transported to a hospital.
''Anton is alert and awake and talking,'' Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. ''He has feeling in his extremities but he can't move.''
Marshall said Grady was conscious while being treated on the court.
''Seeing your brother on the court like that, it's more than a game at that point,'' teammate Ron Baker said. ''It's life.''
''Our prayers are with him,'' Alabama's Riley Norris said.
Marshall and Grady's teammates were planning to visit him at the hospital later Friday.
Shannon Hale scored 20 points and Norris added 12 for Alabama (3-2), which beat a Top 25 team on a neutral court for the first time since Nov. 29, 2009, a 68-66 victory over then No. 15 Michigan.
''This was a team victory,'' Alabama coach Avery Johnson said.
Wichita State (2-3) lost its second straight invitational game without senior guard Fred VanVleet, who missed his third consecutive game overall due to ankle and hamstring injuries. He twisted an ankle in the season opener Nov. 13 against Charleston Southern and then was limited by hamstring soreness four days later in a game with Tulsa.
''Disappointing,'' Marshall said. ''I thought we had a chance again, a lead midway through the second half and didn't finish. It's been the same story in all three of our losses.''
Hale made one of two free throws to make it 62-60 with 36 seconds left. After Wichita State failed to score on its next possession, Norris secured the win with two from the foul line.
Alabama went ahead 58-55 with 5 minutes left on 3-pointers by Hale and Norris in the back-and forth game.
After Norris hit a 3 during a 9-1 Alabama surge, Markis McDuffie tied it with a trey and another long-range jumper from Ron Baker gave Wichita State a 55-52 advantage with 8 minutes remaining.
Baker had 15 points.
Baker had a 3-pointer during a 7-2 run that put Wichita State up 48-43 with 12 minutes to play.
Hale had 12 points as Alabama took a 32-30 lead at the half.
The Crimson Tide made 8 of 9 free throws over the final 3 minutes of the half.