Alabama Women's Hoops Defeat Arkansas, 68-65
2/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Monique Bivins scored a career-high 26 points and Dee Merriweather pulled down a career-best 16 rebounds as the University of Alabama women's basketball team defeated the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks, 68-65, at Coleman Coliseum on Sunday afternoon in front of Bama's 1994 Final Four squad.
With the win, Alabama evens its record at 12-12 overall and 4-7 in SEC play. The Razorbacks fall to 14-9 on the season and 3-7 in conference action.
The Tide reversed its usual trend of slow starts in the first half, jumping out to a quick eight point lead with 12:17 remaining in the opening period. The lead swelled to 12 late in the half, as Bama overcame below par shooting by winning the battle on the boards. At halftime, the Tide owned a remarkable 30-9 rebounding edge, including an 18-2 advantage on the offensive glass. Merriweather almost out-rebounded the Lady Razorbacks on her own by the end of the half, with eight boards to her credit. Alabama also owned the advantage on the scoreboard at the break, 34-27.
The Lady Razorbacks pounced on the Tide as the second half got underway, claiming their first lead with 14:51 remaining in the contest. But the Tide refused to fold down the stretch, as Bivins and Kate Mastin sparked the Tide late and withstood the Razorbacks late game push.
"You've got to dance with the one that brought you there, and for us today that was Kate Mastin and Monique Bivins," Alabama head coach Rick Moody said. "Monique hit some beautiful shots when we were down by five. She got into a groove and got the job done."
Bivins finished 6 of 14 from behind the arc and 8 of 21 from the field. Her 14 three-point attempts tie her for 5th all-time in Crimson Tide history, along with several former Tide players. Bivins also added seven rebounds and collected three steals. Mastin scored the Tide's final seven points of the evening, finishing with 13 total points on 4 of 11 shooting. Lauren Hill was the only other Tide player to finish with double-digits in scoring, contributing 10.
Arkansas' Shameka Christon led all scorers with 31 points on 11 of 18 shooting from the field and a career high 7 of 11 from three-point territory. Kristen Moore added 12 points on 6 of 11 shooting, while also leading the Lady Razorbacks on the glass, pulling down eight rebounds.
Next up for the Tide, following a much-deserved Thursday night off from competition, is a trip to Lexington, Ky., on Sunday, February 22, to face the Kentucky Wildcats. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. CST, and can be heard locally on WACT 1420 AM.
PHOTO GALLERY
University of Alabama head women's coach Rick Moody hugs his former Crimson Tide guard Betsy Harris whose play as the MVP in the Midwest Regional in Austin, Texas powered Moody's 1994 Alabama team to the Final Four. Alabama honored the team with a 10-year-reunion at its game against Arkansas on Sunday. Also pictured, from left, are other members of the school's only Final Four team, Cara Crosslin and Camellia Crenshaw Redmond who are now high school coaches. In fact, six members of that Final Four team are now coaches, including Harris who played professionally overseas and is now an assistant at West Alabama.
The University of Alabama feted members of its 1994 Final Four team with a reunion on Sunday afternoon. Among those who returned to Tuscaloosa to cheer the Crimson Tide to a win against Arkansas and then attend a reception in their honor afterwards were, left to right, retired women's basketball secretary Nancy Kelly, former assistant coach Leigh Walker, two-time Kodak All-American, All-SEC and former WNBA player Niesa Johnson, Madonna Thompson, Sarah Smith Kelley, Rick Moody, Cara Crosslin, former manager Nikki Cabler, Leah Monteith Goss, Camellia Crenshaw Redmond and Carla Koonce Russell.
