Women's Basketball Hosts Crimson Tide Holiday Classic
12/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2008
Alabama (9-3) vs. Belmont (7-2)
Monday, December 29, 2008 (Crimson Tide Holiday Classic - Game 2)
Tipoff: Approx. 3:00 p.m. CST (Ball State and Richmond will play at 1:00 p.m.)
TV: None
Radio: CTSN
Alabama and Belmont:
The Crimson Tide and Bruins will meet for the sixth time in program history today where the series is tied at 3-2. The last time the two teams met was just over one year ago on Nov. 28, 2007 in Nashville, Tenn. Belmont came out of the contest with the 75-58 win. Below is a list of each matchup between the Tide and Bruins.
| Nov. 28, 2007 | Belmont 75, Alabama 58 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Dec. 20, 2006 | Alabama 52, Belmont 51 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Dec. 2, 2000 | Alabama 70, Belmont 67 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Jan. 6, 1999 | Alabama 84, Belmont 58 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| March 12, 1977 | Belmont 88, Alabama 73 | Amarillo, Texas |
Scouting Belmont:
Belmont enters today's contest on a five-game winning streak. Most recently, the Bruins defeated UT-Martin at home 72-48. Alabama and Belmont have played one common opponent in Austin Peay. The Bruins dropped a close one to the Lady Govs 49-48, while the Tide won 63-53.
Leading Belmont on offense is junior guard Amber Rockwell who averages 14.0 points per game. Also averaging double-digit points is freshman guard/forward Cacy Burtnett with 12.1 along with senior post-player Jessica Bobbitt also with 12.1 points per game. Bobbitt tops the Bruins in rebounds with 9.9 per outing, while junior guard LaWanna Holiday serves as Belmont's leading ball distributor with 2.4 assists per contest.
Alabama and the Atlantic Sun:
Alabama has only matched up with an Atlantic Sun opponent 12 times in its history. The Tide currently owns a 9-3 record against league opponents. Of the 11 Atlantic Sun institutions, Alabama has faced four of them including Belmont (3-2), East Tennessee State (3-1), Mercer (2-0) and Lipscomb (1-0). Below is a list of each matchup between the Tide and its Atlantic Sun opponent.
| Jan. 2, 2008 | East Tennessee State 73, Alabama 62 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Nov. 28, 2007 | Belmont, 75, Alabama 58 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Dec. 20, 2006 | Alabama 52, Belmont 51 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Dec. 2, 2000 | Alabama 70, Belmont 67 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Jan. 6, 1999 | Alabama 84, Belmont 58 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Dec. 2, 1995 | Alabama 95, East Tennessee State 64 | Johnson City, Tenn. |
| Jan. 3, 1995 | Alabama 102, East Tennessee 64 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 18, 1994 | Alabama 101, Mercer 46 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Dec. 8, 1993 | Alabama 86, East Tennessee State 65 | Johnson City, Tenn. |
| Jan. 21, 1993 | Alabama 91, Mercer 69 | Macon, Ga. |
| Jan. 24, 1986 | Alabama 78, Lipscomb 50 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| March 12, 1977 | Belmont 88, Alabama 73 | Amarillo, Texas |
Who to Watch:
Sophomore Tierney Jenkins has produced double-figure scoring outputs four of the last five games for the Tide. Last time out, she led four Alabama players in double figures with 16 points. In addition, Jenkins tacked on eight rebounds, four steals, one assists and one block. She was a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line.
Last Time Out:
The women's basketball team picked up its ninth win of the season Monday when it defeated Alabama A&M 76-65 in Coleman Coliseum. Leading Alabama on offense was sophomore Tierney Jenkins with 16 points. Jenkins also added eight rebounds and four steals. Three other Tide players recorded double-digit points with sophomore Varisia Raffington collecting 12 points and classmates Alyson Butler and Daleisha Carn each with 11 points. Senior Chaymieyon Moss led all scorers in the game with 19 points.
Alabama Nearing 600th win:
Alabama is just two wins away from its 600th victory in program history. The Tide's overall record currently stands at 598-415. Alabama hit the 500-win mark on Jan. 28, 2001 with a 67-64 win over Ole Miss.
Rejected:
Alabama is averaging 5.6 blocks per game ranking it second in the SEC. The Tide's season-high came against Austin Peay on Dec. 20 when Alabama recorded 10 rejections. All but one player on the team has tallied at least a single block with junior Courtney Strauthers leading the way with 13.
Russell from Downtown:
Freshman Ericka Russell has taken 68.1 percent of her shots (64-94) from three-point range this season. She has the second most three-pointers made thus far with 21 and averages 32.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Lucky Number 13:
Junior Courtney Strauthers collected a career-high 13 points in Alabama's win over UCF on Dec. 3. That same night, sophomore Daleisha Carn pulled down a career-best 13 rebounds. In the Tide's next game against Sam Houston State, Carn dished out a career-high 13 assists. Carn then collected a season-high 13 points at Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 14.
Equal Opportunity Scorers:
In Alabama's 12 games, four different players have led the Tide in scoring. Sophomore Tierney Jenkins has been Alabama's leading scorer six times, while freshman Ericka Russell has topped the Tide three times. Sophomore Alyson Butler had led the way twice, and classmate Katie Hancock has led in point production once.
Strauthers Hitting Better than .500 for Career:
Junior Courtney Strauthers is currently averaging 53.6 percent from the floor for her career. She finished her freshman season at 51.3 percent followed by her sophomore year at 56.8 percent. She is 33-64 on the season thus far for a 51.6 clip.
Ericka Russell Voted to the Nugget Classic All-Tournament Team:
Alabama freshman Ericka Russell was one of six players named to the Nugget Classic All-Tournament Team. The squad was voted on by the four participating coaches. She finished the two-game Classic with 24 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Variety is the Spice of Life:
A total of 14 players have seen court time in Alabama's games this season. Ten of those 14 players are averaging 10 minutes or more. Sophomore Alyson Butler leads the way with 23.0 minutes per outing.
`Bama on the Boards:
The Tide has been dominant on the boards out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 5.2 per game while collecting a total of 46.7 per contest. Alabama pulled down 50 rebounds or more in seven of 12 games this season, including a high of 60 against Sam Houston State on Dec. 7.
I'll Take my Bench over your Bench:
Alabama's bench scoring has accounted for an average of 36.5 points per game this season and 438 points overall. That is over half of the Tide's total point output thus far. Below is a list of how many points the bench has produced in each game:
Nov. 14, 2008 vs. Centenary - 28 points
Nov. 18, 2008 vs. Samford - 24 points
Nov. 22, 2008 at Hampton - 35 points
Nov. 25, 2008 vs. Alabama State - 52 points
Nov. 28, 2008 vs. Louisville - 43 points
Nov. 29, 2008 vs. Northern Iowa - 38 points
Dec. 3, 2008 vs. UCF - 36 points
Dec. 7, 2008 vs. Sam Houston State - 46 points
Dec. 14, 2008 at MTSU - 37 points
Dec. 17, 2008 vs. Florida A&M - 33 points
Dec. 20, 2008 vs. Austin Peay - 28 points
Dec. 22, 2008 vs. Alabama A&M - 38 points
60 is the Magic Number:
In two of Alabama's three losses, the Tide has failed to reach the 60-point mark, but in all nine of its wins has eclipsed that mark. Alabama is currently averaging 69.0 points per game. The last time the Tide averaged this many, or more, points a game was in the 2001-02 season when it collected 73.7 points per outing.
Tide Welcomes Six Newcomers:
A total of six new players will dawn the crimson and white this season for the women's basketball team. Carmen McCoy, Kayla Robinson, Ericka Russell and Candace Sykes all signed on nearly one year ago, while Danielle Hicks and Candiss Willingham were added as walk-ons.
Fresh Faces on the Sidelines:
Wendell Hudson returns to the sidelines after spending the last six years in administration to head up the Alabama women's basketball team. Hudson, who possesses 26 years of basketball coaching experience, is no stranger to Alabama as he was the first African-American scholarship athlete at the Capstone while playing under C.M. Newton. Joining him will be former Tide standouts Joni Crenshaw and Stacey Franklin along with Ty Evans, who enters his second season as a member of the Alabama staff.
Next up:
If Alabama wins today, it will play the winner of the Ball State/Richmond game in the tournament championship game at 3:00 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday. Should the Tide lose, it will face the loser of the Ball State/Richmond game in the tournament consolation contest on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. (CST). At the conclusion of the tournament there will be an all-tournament team named as voted on by participating coaches.
