Women?s Basketball Falls at No. 4 Tennessee, 72-36
1/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.??Playing in front of a hostile crowd and the highest-ranked women’s basketball team in the Southeastern Conference, Alabama managed only 14 first-half points and turned the ball over 21 times in the first 20 minutes as the Tide (10-6, 0-1) fell to No. 4 Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena (13-1, 1-0), 72-36.
It was both the first SEC test and first ranked opponent for Alabama’s six newcomers, including Greenwood, S.C. native Talisha Chandler, who led the Tide with 14 points in the losing effort. Tennessee’s Candace Parker led the Lady Vols with 15 points.
Alabama couldn’t overcome its sloppy first-half play, which enabled the Lady Vols to jump out to a 35-14 lead at the break. Tennessee’s lead increased to as many as 36 in the second half.
“We are just a very young basketball team,” Alabama head coach Stephany Smith said. “We had six freshmen playing their first SEC game and we were playing at Tennessee, who is a very talented team. I thought we lost our composure early and Tennessee is a team that can score a lot of points in a hurry.”
Alabama turned the ball over a season-high 35 times, and shot a season-low 31% for the game. Tennessee shot 46% for the game and shot 20 free throws to Alabama’s eight, though the Tide outrebounded the Lady Vols, 34-23, forced 20 Tennessee turnovers and recorded 13 steals.
“We fought towards the end of the game,” Smith said, “but I was a little disappointed in how we performed.”
Alabama hosts Auburn Sunday at Coleman Coliseum at 2 p.m.
