Bama Women's Hoops Struggles in Loss at LSU
2/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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BATON ROUGE, La. - The University of Alabama women's basketball team again had problems finding any offensive consistency against a ranked opponent as No. 4 LSU took advantage of a disappointing UA performance to earn an 85-43 victory on Thursday night.
Natasha Gamble scored 16 points including an 8-for-8 showing at the free throw line to lead the Crimson Tide. Jamilah Johns, a former player at LSU, finished with 10 points as the only other Bama player in double digits.
"We knew going in that LSU was a very good team," said UA head coach Rick Moody. "We found out that they are not only good and athletic but also pretty deep. We had a very difficult time against them especially in the first half. Hopefully we can get something good to happen for us in a first half and then build on that."
The Crimson Tide's first half offensive woes continued against LSU as Alabama could only muster 16 points in the opening stanza. Natasha Gamble hit the first shot of the game for the Tide but then Bama would score just one more basket over the next 10 minutes while the Lady Tigers took a 27-4 lead.
With Alabama's perimeter attack struggling to find the bottom of the net, the Tide's inside duo of Gamble and Jamilah Johns were able to score posting six points each in the first period. Beth Vice scored the lone basket by an Alabama guard in the opening stanza with a putback layup at the 0:32 mark.
Vice's basket was the lone UA score in a near five minute drought to close the first half. LSU extended their margin to 44-16 by the halftime break.
LSU continued to control the tempo and flow in the second half outscoring the Tide 41-27 en route to the double-digit win.
For the game, Alabama committed 22 turnovers, 16 in the first half, leading to 28 LSU points. The Crimson Tide also were held scoreless from the three-point arc (0-9) for the first since and 0 for 12 performance against Georgia on Feb. 24, 2000.
LSU freshman standout Seimone Augustus paced the LSU attack with 16 points followed by 11 from Ke-Ke Tardy and 10 by Aiysha Smith. Roneeka Hodges hauled down seven rebounds to lead LSU to a 42-39 edge in rebounding for the game.
Alabama returns to Coleman Coliseum for its next game on Sunday. The Tide hosts Florida at 2 p.m., in the first of UA's final three home games of the season.
Alabama (11-12, 1-9) 16-27-43
#4 LSU (21-1, 9-1) 44-41-85
