Late First-Half Run Dooms Tide Women?s Basketball Team
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? Visiting Mississippi State used a key run late in the first half to build a lead over the University of Alabama women’s basketball team that it never relinquished in an 89-70 win over the Tide in Coleman Coliseum on Thursday night.
Alabama, seeking its first win of the Southeastern Conference season in 13 tries, hung tough with the Bulldogs for the first 14 minutes of the game. Trailing by five points with just over six minutes to play in the first half, Alabama seemed poised to make a run at its first victory in SEC play since a win over MSU in Starkville last season.
Unfortunately for the Tide, however, the Bulldogs promptly put together a 21-8 run to finish the half and went into the locker room holding a 48-30 advantage. Mississippi State went 7-of-9 from the field during that six-minute stretch, including a pair of three-pointers. The Bulldogs shot 56.7 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and had 12 free-throw attempts to Alabama’s three.
“It really was unfortunate at that time, because we just had a nice run of our own to put things back where they needed to be,” said Alabama head coach Stephany Smith. “It was looking like it was going to be a competitive basketball game, but it turned right around, and Mississippi State had their run that really made it difficult for us to come back from.”
In the second half, the Tide came out fighting and played MSU nearly even for the remainder of the contest. Alabama scored 40 points in the second half, while the Bulldogs tallied 41.
Mississippi State had the edge at the charity stripe, however, shooting 14 more free throws in the second half. The Bulldogs finished with 26 attempts from the foul line to 10 for UA.
The Tide outrebounded MSU, 36-32, and committed only four turnovers in the second half after racking up 17 in the opening stanza, but it wasn’t enough to come back from its first-half deficit.
Kate Mastin, one of four Alabama seniors honored prior to the contest as part of the Tide’s Senior Night, had a game to remember in her final outing in front of the Coleman Coliseum crowd. The Boaz product poured in a career-high 32 points on the evening, bettering her previous mark of 28 set earlier this season.
“Kate really had a hot hand tonight, and we just tried to get her some open looks,” said Smith. “It was good to see her play that well in her final home game. She has worked hard all season for us and I was proud of the way she finished.”
The 32-point effort put Mastin in the school’s top 15 all-time for points in a single game, equaling the mark last set by Shalonda Enis, who had 32 against Appalachian State in the 1996 NCAA Tournament.
Mastin, who ranks in the top 10 in career three-point and free-throw accuracy, went 12-of-19 from the field and drained six of her 10 three-point attempts. She also recorded a pair of rebounds and two steals in the game.
Classmate Navonda Moore was the only other Tide player in double figures. Moore, who finished with 14 points against MSU, moved into 14th-place on the UA career scoring charts, surpassing Glenda Boss, who scored 1,158 points from 1977-81. Moore currently owns 1,168 for her career and stands six points behind former teammate Monique Bivins, who is in 13th-place on the list with 1,174 points.
Another senior, center Harriet Barnes, went out in style in her final home game, as she grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in the loss. Tamara Williams had six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in the game.
Mississippi State had five players in double-figures, led by Tysheka Grimes, who posted 20 points. Alexis Rack had 11 of her 17 points in the first half, while Bethany Washington led MSU in rebounding with seven on the night.
Alabama fell to 10-17 overall and 0-13 in conference play, while the Bulldogs improved to 17-11 and 7-6 in the SEC.
The Tide closes out its regular-season schedule on Sunday, Feb. 25, when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., to face highly-ranked LSU. That game is slated to tip at 2:00 p.m.
Alabama travels to the 2007 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament next Thursday, March 1, in Duluth, Ga. Seeds and game times are set to be announced following the conclusion of regular-season action on Sunday.
