Women's Basketball Looks for First SEC win Thursday
1/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2009
ALABAMA (12-5, 0-2 SEC) vs. Kentucky (11-6, 1-1 SEC)
Thursday, January 15
Tipoff: 6:00 p.m. (CST)
TV: WVUA (Tape Delayed)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
Promotion: UA Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night
Alabama and Kentucky:
The series between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats dates back to the 1977-78 season with a total of 33 meeting thus far. Kentucky narrowly edges out Alabama for the lead in the all-time standings at 18-15. The Wildcats have won three games in a row in the series. The Tide's last win came on Jan. 9, 2005 in Coleman Coliseum where Alabama picked up a 69-63 overtime victory. Below is a list of the last 10 contests between the two squads.
| Feb. 17, 2008 | Kentucky 64, Alabama 44 | Lexington, Ky. |
| Jan. 11, 2007 | Kentucky 63, Alabama 62 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 26, 2006 | Kentucky 80, Alabama 60 | Lexington, Ky. |
| Jan. 9, 2005 | Alabama 69, Kentucky 63 (OT) | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 22, 2004 | Kentucky 62, Alabama 59 | Lexington, Ala. |
| Feb. 23, 2003 | Kentucky 73, Alabama 71 (2OT) | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 12, 2003 | Kentucky 59, Alabama 55 | Lexington, Ala. |
| Jan. 27, 2002 | Alabama 61, Kentucky 58 | Lexington, Ky. |
| Jan. 6, 2002 | Kentucky 63, Alabama 62 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 25, 2001 | Kentucky 71, Alabama 64 | Lexington, Ky. |
Scouting Kentucky:
Kentucky took a large hit in the offseason in experience having lost four senior starters has quickly rebounded and is off to a decent start this season. The Wildcats enter today's game at 11-6 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Kentucky's one SEC loss came in its league opener at then No. 7/11 Tennessee 69-64. The Wildcats earned a victory in their second conference game to Arkansas 72-63. In addition, Kentucky has won six of its last seven games and improved its shooting percentage nearly an entire tenth (.346 to .420).
The Wildcats have three players averaging double-figure points including sophomore Victoria Dunlap with 12.2 points per game and senior Eleia Roddy and junior Amani Franklin each with 10.8 points an outing. Roddy also leads Kentucky in rebounds with an average of 8.9 per game, while sophomore Amber Smith acts as the Wildcats best ball distributer with 3.8 assists per game.
Alabama and the Southeastern Conference:
Alabama is off to its best start since 2000 and looks to continue that success in conference play. The Tide's all-time record against league foes is 120-181 (.399). Alabama's last winning record in the SEC came during the 1997-98 season when the Tide went 10-4. Below is a list of how Alabama has finished each of its conference seasons.
| Year | Record | Conference Finish |
| 2008-09 | 0-2 | ---- |
| 2007-08 | 1-13 | 12 |
| 2006-07 | 0-14 | 12 |
| 2005-06 | 3-11 | 11 |
| 2004-05 | 4-10 | T9 |
| 2003-04 | 4-10 | 10 |
| 2002-03 | 3-11 | 10 |
| 2001-02 | 7-7 | T7 |
| 2000-01 | 5-9 | T8 |
| 1999-00 | 5-9 | T8 |
| 1998-99 | 7-7 | T5 |
| 1997-98 | 10-4 | T2 |
| 1996-97 | 10-2 | 2 |
| 1995-96 | 7-4 | T3 |
| 1994-95 | 7-4 | T4 |
| 1993-94 | 7-4 | T4 |
| 1992-93 | 6-5 | T4 |
| 1991-92 | 7-4 | 3 |
| 1990-91 | 3-6 | T8 |
| 1989-90 | 4-5 | T6 |
| 1988-89 | 1-8 | T9 |
| 1987-88 | 5-4 | T4 |
| 1986-87 | 2-7 | T8 |
| 1985-86 | 3-6 | 8 |
| 1984-85 | 3-5 | 4 (West) |
| 1983-84 | 5-3 | T2 (West) |
| 1982-83 | 2-6 | 4 (West) |
| 1981-82 | 4-3 | NA |
| 1980-81 | 4-3 | NA |
| 1979-80 | 3-5 | NA |
Who to Watch:
After watching Ericka Russell play you'd never guess she was a freshman. In her SEC debut, the Tuscaloosa native scored 25 points to help cut the Tide's 26-point deficit to Vanderbilt to just four. She collected 15 of her 25 from beyond the arc where Russell connected on 5-of-8 from three-point range. She's led Alabama in scoring on six occasions thus far this season including three 20+ point performances.
Last Time Out:
Alabama fell in its first Southeastern Conference road game 55-34 to LSU Sunday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Sophomore Tierney Jenkins led all Tide scorers with 10 points, and classmate Varisia Raffington pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Dedrea Magee was Alabama's top ball distributer with six assists. LSU junior Allison Hightower was the game's top point producer with 17 points. For the game, the Tide hit just 25 percent of its shots while LSU connected on 39.7 percent of its attempts. Neither team was able to collect a three-pointer until the second half when Russell hit the first of two treys for Alabama at 12:18. The Lady Tigers would finish the game 0-8 from beyond the arc. LSU won the battle of the boards out-rebounding the Tide 48-37.
Alabama Captures 600th win:
Alabama won its 600th victory in program history on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 when it beat Ball State in the championship game of the Crimson Tide Holiday Classic 81-75 in Coleman Coliseum. The Tide's overall record currently stands at 601-417 for an overall winning percentage of 59.0.
The Tide is Turning:
After winning just eight games last season, the Tide has already collected 12 victories in just 17 attempts this season. With its 12 wins, Alabama is tied for third for best turnaround from last season to this season. Below are the top turnaround teams with two or more wins higher than last season thus far.
| Institution | Increase in Wins | 2007-08 Wins to 2008-09 Wins |
| 1. Fordham | 7 | 0 to 7 |
| 2. Central Connecticut | 5 | 4 to 9 |
| T3. Alabama | 4 | 8 to 12 |
| T3. Hofstra | 4 | 4 to 8 |
| T3. Eastern Washington | 4 | 4 to 8 |
| T6. Central Michigan | 3 | 6 to 9 |
| T6. Mercer | 3 | 4 to 7 |
| T6. Colgate | 3 | 1 to 4 |
| T6. Sam Houston State | 3 | 1 to 4 |
| T10. Kent State | 2 | 9 to 11 |
| T10. Austin Peay | 2 | 6 to 8 |
| T10. USC Upstate | 2 | 5 to 7 |
| T10. Washington State | 2 | 5 to 7 |
| T10. Idaho | 2 | 4 to 6 |
| T10. Cal State Northridge | 2 | 1 to 3 |
Keep the Ws Coming:
With its win against Southeastern Louisiana on Jan. 3, the Tide got off to its best start since the 2000-2001 season when it went 12-2. In addition, Alabama won its last six games in a row prior to the start of conference play. The last time the Tide won five games or more in a row was between Nov. 22, 2002 to Dec. 7, 2002 when Alabama captured six consecutive victories.
Rejected:
Alabama is averaging 4.8 blocks per game ranking it fifth in the SEC and 40th nationally. 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 18.
Butler and Russell from Downtown:
Sophomore Alyson Butler and freshman Ericka Russell are the Tide's top three-point threats where both have hit 31 shots from beyond the arc. Butler is currently averaging 30.7 percent having connected on 31 of 101 tries. Russell has taken 64.3 percent of her shots (99-154) from three-point range this season. She has made 31.1 percent of her attempts from downtown.
Alabama from Beyond the Arc:
The Tide has hit a three-point shot in 42 consecutive games. The last time Alabama went an entire contest without making a three was Nov. 24, 2007 against Washington State. The Tide went 0-3 for the game.
Equal Opportunity Scorers:
In Alabama's 17 games, four different players have led the Tide in scoring. Sophomore Tierney Jenkins has been Alabama's leading scorer eight times, while freshman Ericka Russell has topped the Tide five times. Sophomore Alyson Butler has led the way twice. Sophomore Katie Hancock and junior Dedrea Magee have each led in point production once.
Strauthers Hitting Better than .500 for Career:
Junior Courtney Strauthers is currently averaging 51.8 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 44-96 on the season thus far for a 45.8 clip.
Variety is the Spice of Life:
A total of 14 players have seen court time in Alabama's games this season. Nine of those 14 players are averaging 15 minutes or more. Junior Dedrea Magee leads the way with 23.8 minutes per outing.
`Bama on the Boards:
The Tide has been dominant on the boards out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 5.4 per game while collecting a total of 45.6 per contest. Alabama pulled down 50 rebounds or more in eight of 16 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 33.7 points per game this season and 573 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 |
| Dec. 29, 2008 | vs. Belmont | 28 points |
| Dec. 30, 2008 | vs. Ball State | 52 points |
| Jan. 3, 2009 | at Southeastern Louisiana | 29 points |
| Jan. 8, 2009 | vs. Vanderbilt | 23 points |
| Jan. 11, 2009 | at LSU | 3 points |
Alabama Places Two on Crimson Tide Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team:
Junior Dedrea Magee and sophomore Tierney Jenkins were both voted to the Crimson Tide Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team selected by participating coaches. Magee took home Tournament MVP honors after scoring 27 points and adding 12 rebounds and five assists over the two games. For the tournament, Jenkins notched 31 points, including a season-best 23 in the championship game, as well as 17 rebounds and seven steals.
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.
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.
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:
Alabama will travel to Oxford, Miss. to take on Ole Miss Sunday, Jan. 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (CST). Sunday's meeting will be the 47th in series history where the Lady Rebels own the 30-16 advantage. In addition, Ole Miss has won the last seven straight meetings. The Tide's last victory over the Lady Rebels was on Jan. 15, 2004 when Alabama won 67-62 in Coleman Coliseum.
