Alabama
Samford
Women's Basketball Falls to Samford in Overtime
11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala - The Alabama women's basketball team fell to Samford in overtime, 61-55, despite a solid effort by sophomore forward Tierney Jenkins.
"We are still trying to find out the identity of the team," said Head Coach Wendell Hudson. "This team is a work in progress. Overall, I thought everyone worked really hard and gave good effort."
Jenkins led all scorers with 19 points as well as pulling down six rebounds. Sophomore Katie Hancock led Alabama in rebounding with 11 total boards.
In overtime, Jenkins put the Tide on top first with a jumper at the 4:43 mark. Camilla Blands hit two crucial free throws to give Alabama the lead at 55-54. The Bulldogs scored two back-to-back layups and a sunk a free throw to pull the momentum away from the Tide.
Dedrea Magee got Alabama started in the second half, with a jumper to give the Tide a five point lead. Two free throws from Samford's Karmen Smith got Samford within three at 33-30. A layup by Samford's Monica Maxwell gave the lead to the Bulldogs at 38-37. In the final minutes of the game, Jenkins rattled off eight points for the Tide. Samford was able to come back and send the game into overtime on a layup by Savannah Hill.
In the first half, Alabama jumped to a quick 8-0 lead. Courtney Strauthers earned the first four points and Dedrea Magee added four of her own. The Tide saw its biggest lead of the night at the 13 minute mark, leading Samford 15-5. A jump shot by Samford's Maxwell tied the game at 20-20. A Caitlin Hollifield jumper gave Alabama the lead 25-22 at the half.
In the first, Alabama shot 36 percent from the field and 25 percent from behind the arc. It held Samford to 26 percent and only 10 percent from the three-point line. The Tide dominated in the paint, holding Samford to zero offensive rebounds and only 12 defensive boards. Alabama pulled down 25 rebounds in the first half alone and 52 in the game.
"We did rebound the ball well," added Hudson. "I thought we played decent defense for a while, but Samford is a good three-point shooting team and they proved that tonight."
