MONTREAL -- Freshman John Petty scored a game-high 22 points and was one of four Alabama players to reach double digits as the Crimson Tide opened a three-game Canadian tour by defeating McGill 96-57 in a cross-border college hoops confrontation at Love Competition Hall, Monday.

It was the 117th season opener for McGill and the 105th for the Crimson Tide, an NCAA Div. 1 squad from Tuscaloosa, Ala. The visitors improved to 2-0 lifetime against McGill, including a much closer 97-88 decision in 2007.

Jenning Leung, a fifth-year point-guard from the Philippines, led the Redmen with 21 points in a losing cause. He shot 7-for-10 from the field, including a 3-for-6 effort from downtown. Leung, who wasn't expected back for a fifth season, went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, to go along with one rebound, three assists and a steal.

Teammate Sebastian Beckett, a senior from Georgetown, Ont., added 11 points. Both also led the Redmen with 24 minutes of court time.

McGill jumped into an early 11-2 lead but Alabama, which has won seven SEC titles and 19 NCAA tournament appearances to their credit, went on a 36-2 run that saw the Tide score 18 straight points.

They rallied to take a 24-13 advantage after the opening quarter and held a 51-28 buffer at the intermission but only outscored McGill 17-16 in the third frame to lead 58-44 heading into the final stanza.

"We had some really good looks at shooting the ball but we didn't make those open shots," said McGill head coach David DeAveiro, whose troops shot only 32.8 per cent from the floor (19 of 58), compared to Alabama, which connected on a sparkling 59.8 per cent. "I was pleased that we were getting those shots but disapointed that we weren't making them... But that's about what I expected after only four practices... although I thought we would shoot the ball a bit better."

Alabama's starting five had a marked height advantage, ranging from 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-9, compared to McGill, which only dressed two starters over the 6-foot-2 plateau -- senior Noah Daoust (6-8) and Arnaud Boyer-Cillis, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound  freshman from Montreal who was recruited out of Vanier College.

"They had a big lineup and (Boyer-Cillis) is our biggest kid and I wanted to see how he competes and responds to that kind of (height) and athleticism," explained DeAveiro of his decision to start a rookie. "That's how I see if a guy can compete and rise to the challenge. He's a young guy and will get better."

Another freshman that got a good look was Sam Jenkins, a 6-foot-4 guard from Lincoln Prep School in Hamilton, Ont., who saw 22 minutes of court duty, and was credited with four points with a pair of rebounds, one assist and a steal.

"Jenkins was very good today, being a freshman and playing in his first game against Alabama," said DeAveiro, who is in his eighth season at McGill. "I thought he did a lot of good things out there."

Junior guard Ar'Mond Davis collected 14 points off the bench for Alabama, while sophomore forward Daniel Giddens and freshman guard Collin Sexton both added 13. Including Giddens, the Tide's six newcomers combined for 57 of the team's 96 points on the night.

"Overall it was extremely positive," head coach Avery Johnson said of the result. "We had unbelievable energy throughout the game. Our guys moved the ball and we made some shots. I thought we played really good defence. We clamped down on them defensively, so I am pleased with the overall energy and passion that we played with."

The Tide shot 60 per cent (34-of-57) from the field and 56 per cent (14-of-25) from the beyond the arc, while holding the Redmen to just 33 per cent (19-of-58) shooting from the floor and 23 per cent (7-of-30) from deep. Alabama owned a 34-25 advantage on the boards, while its reserves outscored McGill's bench, 43-17.

Alabama will depart Montreal for Ottawa on Tuesday morning and will return to action when they play Carleton, the seven-time Canadian national champions, on Wednesday night.

The Redmen won't have much recovery time as they will host Southern Methodist University from Dallas, Texas at Love Competition Hall on Tuesday. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. McGill then gets one day off before hosting Towson University from Towson, Maryland, on Thursday at 7 p.m.

It's part of a whopping 10 games against NCAA opponents this month, with six of them at home and four in Costa Rica. McGill used to play an extensive schedule against American opponents in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But in 2004, after almost a two-decade absence, McGill actively looked to schedule tough games annually against opponents on the other side of the border. Since then, the Redmen have posted a 10-40 record in those meetings.

"(Our) kids like to play these games," added DeAveiro, who owns a 352-224 record in 576 contests over 17 his seasons with Ottawa and McGill. "And our recruits want to be part of it, so it's important for us to play these games."