Davis Putback Leads Tide to Dramatic Home Victory
12/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA ?? Of the eight home victories earned by the Crimson Tide women’s basketball team this season, the latest was undoubtedly the most exciting. Despite not scoring a field goal for over six minutes down the stretch, Alabama claimed its eighth win in Coleman Coliseum in as many tries behind a putback layup by true freshman Nikki Davis with 14 seconds left to play to give the Tide a 52-51 decision over Belmont.
“I am just really proud of our team coming up with a hard-fought win,” said Alabama head coach Stephany Smith. “Belmont is a very good basketball team that has played tough against several ranked opponents this season, so for us to hang in there and find a way to win is very satisfying.”
The Tide was in dire need of some last-minute heroics after struggling on the offensive end for much of the second half. Belmont held Alabama to a 25.8 percent performance from the field in the second half and 32.3 percent from the floor overall, the lowest shooting percentage in a game for UA this season.
Alabama played some defense of its own to start the game, holding Belmont scoreless for nearly seven minutes to open the night. The Tide held the Bruins to 23 points and 33.3 percent from the floor in the first half and held a five-point lead at the break.
In the second half though, the scrappy Belmont team, whose only three losses prior to tonight’s game had been to top-25 teams, came back. A three-pointer by Tereva Moore gave the Bruins their first lead, 51-49, with just over three minutes to play.
The Tide drew within one with a Talisha Chandler free throw with 1:56 to play and Chandler grabbed a key rebound with 37 seconds remaining to set up the final UA possession.
After Tamara Williams missed a shot from the right block, Davis swooped in for the rebound. The Frankfort native put the shot in off the glass and drew a foul with 14.5 seconds left to give the Tide a 52-51 advantage.
Davis missed the ensuing free throw however, setting up one last Belmont possession. Shaunda Strayhorn, who finished with a game-high 15 points for the Bruins, got off a three-point shot with two seconds left, but it went wide right and the Tide secured the rebound as the buzzer went off.
The win not only gave the Tide a perfect 8-0 mark on its home floor, it pushed the Alabama win total to nine games on the year, equaling its win total from the 2005-06 season in just 13 games.
“I don’t think we played particularly well on either end of the floor tonight,” said Smith. “But we continue to find ways to win. That is what we have been talking about all season, finding ways to win however we can, and that is exactly what we did against a very tough Belmont team.”
After struggling on the road in a pair of Tide losses, Davis, Alabama’s true freshman point guard, led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game. She finished with 13 points and six rebounds against Belmont, following up her performance against Birmingham Southern earlier in the week when she scored 16 points and dished a freshmen record 11 assists.
Chandler, another one of three true freshmen in the Alabama starting lineup, turned in her best performance, finishing with the first double-double of her career. Chandler scored 10 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds while posting two blocked shots.
Alysha Clark of Belmont also had a double-double for the Bruins, scoring 14 points to go with 13 rebounds.
Alabama returns to its home floor on Thursday, Dec. 28, when it welcomes South Dakota State to Coleman Coliseum. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
