Women's Basketball Gears up for Ole Miss
1/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2009
ALABAMA (12-6, 0-3 SEC) at MISSISSIPPI (12-5, 1-1 SEC)
Sunday, January 18, 2008
Tipoff: 2:00 p.m. (CST)
TV: None
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
Alabama and Ole Miss:
The Crimson Tide and Rebels will face off for the 47th time in history today. Ole Miss leads the overall series 30-16 and has won the last seven straight. Alabama's last win against the Rebels came on Jan. 15, 2004 in Coleman Coliseum when the Tide won 67-62. Below is a listing of the past 10 meetings between Alabama and Ole Miss.
| Feb. 24, 2008 | Ole Miss 70, Alabama 54 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 3, 2008 | Ole Miss 76, Alabama 47 | Oxford, Miss. |
| March 1, 2007 | Ole Miss 78, Alabama 49 | Duluth, Ga. |
| Feb. 11, 2007 | Ole Miss 84, Alabama 43 | Oxford, Miss. |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | Ole Miss 77, Alabama 66 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 13, 2005 | Ole Miss 68, Alabama 54 | Oxford, Miss. |
| March 4, 2004 | Ole Miss 63, Alabama 56 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Jan. 15, 2004 | Alabama 67, Ole Miss 62 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 26, 2003 | Alabama 81, Ole Miss 70 | Oxford, Miss. |
| Feb. 17, 2002 | Alabama 86, Ole Miss 69 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
Scouting Ole Miss:
Ole Miss enters today's contest at 12-5 on the season and 1-1 in SEC play. The Rebels started off the season hot having won their first seven in a row before suffering their first loss against Texas 70-54. Ole Miss picked up its first conference win against Georgia 62-54 and lost its second SEC contest at Mississippi State 69-64. The Rebels and Tide have faced two common opponents thus far this season in Southeastern Louisiana and UCF. Ole Miss beat Southeastern Louisiana 85-73 and UCF 85-67.
Leading the Rebels on offense is senior center Shawn Goff who averages 14.2 points per game. Goff is also Ole Miss' best rebounder pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game. Junior Shantell Black is the Rebels top ball handler dishing out 5.4 assists a night.
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 120-182 (.397). 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:
Sophomore Varisia Raffington has had three of her best performances in the Tide's first string of SEC contests averaging 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Her career high in points came in Alabama's conference opener against Vanderbilt when she drained 16 points shooting 7-14 from the floor and 2-3 from three-point range.
Last Time Out:
The Alabama women's basketball team dropped a close contest to Kentucky 67-57 at Coleman Coliseum Thursday night. Sophomore guard Varisia Raffington led all Alabama scorers with 15 while also pulling down five boards. Sophomore forward Tierney Jenkins posted her third double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Kentucky was led by senior Eleia Roddy and sophomore Carly Morrow, both with 19 points.
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 601-418 for an overall winning percentage of 59.0.
The Tide is Turning:
After winning just eight games last season, the Tide has collected 12 victories in just 18 attempts this season. With its 12 wins, Alabama is fourth 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 | 6 | 4 to 10 |
| 3. Hofstra | 5 | 5 to 10 |
| T4. Alabama | 4 | 8 to 12 |
| T4. 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 |
| T6. Kent State | 3 | 9 to 12 |
| T6. USC Upstate | 3 | 5 to 8 |
| T6. Washington State | 3 | 5 to 8 |
| T13. Austin Peay | 2 | 6 to 8 |
| T13. Idaho | 2 | 4 to 6 |
| T13. Cal State Northridge | 2 | 1 to 3 |
| T 13. Colorado State | 2 | 4 to 6 |
| T13. Grambling State | 2 | 2 to 4 |
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 4.7 blocks per game ranking it sixth 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 leads the team in three-pointers made this season with 32. She is currently 29.4 percent from beyond the arc connecting on 32 of 109 attempts. Freshman Ericka Russell is one shy of Butler having made 31 treys thus far. She is shooting 29.2 percent from three-point range having made 31 of 106.
Alabama from Beyond the Arc:
The Tide has hit a three-point shot in 43 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 18 games, five 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. Junior Dedrea Magee and sophomores Katie Hancock and Varisia Raffington 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 45-98 on the season thus far for a 45.9 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 and sophomore Alyson Butler both lead 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 5.0 per game while collecting a total of 45.4 per contest. Alabama pulled down 50 rebounds or more in eight of 18 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 32.7 points per game this season and 588 points overall. That is nearly 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 |
| Jan. 15, 2009 | vs. Kentucky | 15 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 heads to the plains to take on rival Auburn Thursday, Jan. 22 for an 8:00 p.m. tip. The Tigers have yet to lose a game this season standing at 17-0 and currently holds the No. 6 and 8 rankings in the AP and USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Polls, respectively. The Tide enters the contest having lost the last four in a row in the series that Auburn narrowly leads 34-32.
