Bama Women's Hoops Falls in Double Overtime to Kentucky
2/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
 |
|
TUSCALOOSA - It was like d?j? vu all over again for the University of Alabama women's basketball team as an opponent hit a buzzer beating three-pointer to cause the Tide heartache. This time Kentucky pulled out the miracle shot at the end of regulation to extend play and allow the Wildcats to eventually hold on for a 73-71 victory in double overtime on Sunday afternoon in Coleman Coliseum.
With the loss, Alabama slips to 12-13 overall and 2-10 in the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky improves to 11-13 on the year and 4-8 in SEC play. The Wildcats earned a sweep of their regular season games against the Tide with the win. This marks the third game in the squad's last seven meetings to be decided in the closing seconds.
"It is just tough," said UA head coach Rick Moody. "You practice situations on the practice floor all the time. I tell my kids all the time that the game is never over until the final horn goes off. I thought our team fought real hard and time and time again we continued to battle back. I don't want to take anything away from Kentucky because they are a good team, but we did some things to shoot ourselves in the foot."
UK sophomore Sara Potts, the SEC leader in three-pointers per game, dropped in her sixth trey of the day of an inbounds pass with just 0.5 seconds left in the second half to knot the regulation score at 62. The Crimson Tide committed a pair of turnovers under their own basket in the final minute of play that allowed Kentucky the opportunity to tie the score.
In the first overtime, SeSe Helm staked the Cats to a four-point lead halfway through the period but Jamilah Johns scored a layup at the 2:15 mark to trim the UK lead. Neither team scored over the next two minutes of action but Alabama's Natasha Gamble made some magic of her own when she drained a turnaround 16 footer with one tick left to second the game into a second overtime stanza.
Alabama got a free throw from Monique Bivins early in the second extra period to take a lead but UK answered by scoring the next five points to lead, 71-67, with just 2:48 left on the clock. Again the Tide refused to go away fighting back until a Gamble jumper and a pair of Bivins free throws knotted the score at 71 with 1:00 remaining. Kentucky missed their shot at the lead and Bama set up a final play for Gamble but her shot came up short. UK's Rita Adams raced the rebound down the floor and drew a foul with four seconds left in the game making both free throws for the final margin.
Gamble scored a career-high 17 points in leading a quartet of Crimson Tide players in double figures. Senior Beth Vice finished with 16 points including a trio of treys in the second half followed by Bivins with 12 and Johns with 10. Gamble, Johns and freshman Dee Merriweather shared team rebounding honors as each grabbed eight in helping Bama to a 50-30 edge on the glass.
All five Kentucky starters finished in double digits led by 18 from Potts, who finished 6 of 10 from the three-point line, and Helm and Adams with 14. For the game, Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field (26 of 52) and 50 percent (11 of 12) from beyond the three-point arc. The Wildcats also capitalized from the free throw line making 10 of their 12 attempts.
Both teams struggled with turnovers as Kentucky ended the game with 26 while Alabama committed 22 miscues.
The Crimson Tide concludes its regular season home slate on Thursday night when Alabama welcomes in-state rival Auburn to Coleman Coliseum for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff. Thursday's game will also include a pregame ceremony honoring UA's 2003 senior class of Beth Vice, Jamilah Johns and Shun Hunter.
Alabama (12-13, 2-10 SEC) 31-31-4-5-71
Kentucky (11-13, 4-8 SEC) 32-30-4-7-73
