Crimson Tide Women?s Basketball to Host Southeastern Louisiana Sunday
11/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA ?? The University of Alabama women’s basketball team looks to extend its two-game home win streak to begin the 2006-07 season on Sunday when the Tide welcomes Southeastern Louisiana to Coleman Coliseum. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.
“Southeastern Louisiana is a talented team that has experience against teams from our conference,” said head coach Stephany Smith. “We know that it is our job to go out and work hard in order to have a chance to win, because they will not give us anything.”
Alabama successfully defended its home floor on Friday night with a 71-56 victory over defending Ohio Valley co-champion Tennessee Tech. The Tide shot 58.6 percent in the second half and outscored the Golden Eagles, 43-24 in the final 20 minutes to earn the win. Alabama outrebounded Tech, 42-25, and drained eight three-pointers on the night.
Kate Mastin, Alabama’s senior guard, leads the team in scoring after three games. The product of Boaz is averaging 17.0 points per game and scored 17 points in the win over Tennessee Tech. She is shooting 43.5 percent from the three-point line this season and stands sixth in school history in career three-point shooting percentage with a 35.9 percent mark.
True freshman Nikki Davis, one of just nine true freshmen in the nation to have started at the point guard position in her team’s season opener, had a career night against TTU. Davis scored eight points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished eight assists, the highest total for any Tide player since March of 2005. The Frankfort, Ky., native, is averaging 5.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Southeastern Louisiana (1-2) faces a Southeastern Conference opponent for the third time in its first four games in the contest at Alabama. The Lions lost to Ole Miss in Oxford in the season opener and fell at Mississippi State, 69-62, after giving the Bulldogs a run late in the game.
“Southeastern has shown that they can compete against the SEC,” said Smith. “They came in and played a great game against us last year and played Mississippi State very well on Friday, so we know we will have our hands full.”
The all-time series is tied at two games apiece between the two teams, with the Tide having won the last two meetings. That streak includes a win last season in Coleman Coliseum, when Alabama pulled out a 54-49 decision over the Lions on Dec. 10, 2005.
Alabama leaves for San Francisco, Calif., following Sunday’s game. The Tide competes in the St. Mary’s Tournament on Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25. Alabama meets Missouri in the opening round of the event and plays either St. Mary’s or Cal State-Northridge in the second game of the tournament.
