Women's Basketball Welcomes Georgia on Sunday
1/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2009
ALABAMA (12-8, 0-5 SEC) vs. GEORGIA (12-7, 2-2 SEC)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Tipoff: 2:00 p.m. (CST)
TV: WVUA (Tape Delay)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
Alabama and Georgia:
The series between the Crimson Tide and Lady Bulldogs dates back to the 1977 season where Georgia won the first-ever contest 77-62 in Athens. Since then, the Lady Bulldogs have compiled a 27-9 mark over Alabama including the last 14 straight. The two team last met in the first round of the SEC Tournament in 2008 resulting in a 71-62 win for Georgia. The Tide's last win against the Lady Bulldogs came on Feb. 8, 1998 in Tuscaloosa 90-77. Below is a listing of the previous 10 meetings between the two squads.
| March 6, 2008 | Georgia 71, Alabama 62 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Jan. 20, 2008 | Georgia 71, Alabama 53 | Athens, Ga. |
| Feb. 8, 2007 | Georgia 92, Alabama 51 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 5, 2006 | Georgia 84, Alabama 59 | Athens, Ga. |
| Feb. 3, 2005 | Georgia 72, Alabama 63 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 1, 2004 | Georgia 71, Alabama 68 | Athens, Ga. |
| Jan. 23, 2003 | Georgia 77, Alabama 47 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 28, 2002 | Georgia 64, Alabama 60 | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Feb. 21, 2002 | Georgia 73, Alabama 62 | Athens, Ga. |
| Feb. 22, 2001 | Georgia 71, Alabama 48 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
Scouting Georgia:
The Lady Bulldogs picked up a big win Thursday against No. 17 Vanderbilt 66-55. Leading Georgia was junior Angel Robinson with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Ashley Houts also chipped in a game-high 18 points. With the win against the Commodores, the Lady Bulldogs improved their conference standing to 2-2. Georgia's other conference win came against South Carolina while the two losses were to Ole Miss and Florida.
Houts leads the team in points per game with an average of 12.5. She also is the Lady Bulldog's top ball distributer with 4.5 assists per game. With 8.8 rebounds per contest, Robinson leads Georgia in that category and ranks No. 2 in the SEC.
Alabama and the Southeastern Conference:
The Tide's all-time record against league foes is 120-184 (.395). 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 | 0-5 | ---- |
| 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 five of her best performances in the Tide's first string of SEC contests averaging 13.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. Her career high in points came at Auburn when she drained 19 points shooting 8-14 from the floor and 2-3 from three-point range.
Last Time Out:
Sophomore Varisia Raffington netted a career-best 19 points, but No. 5/6 Auburn came away with the 84-66 victory Thursday night at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. Raffington's 19 points led three Alabama players in doubles figures. Sophomore Tierney Jenkins and freshman Ericka Russell each tallied 11 points. Jenkins was also the Tide's top rebounder with eight boards. Auburn senior DeWanna Bonner led all scorers with 24 points. Both teams shot well with the Tide connecting on 45.6 percent of its shots and Auburn hitting 61.8 percent of its attempts. The big difference was in the second half where the Tigers were 73.9 percent from the floor hitting 17 of 23 shots. Both teams finished with 28 rebounds.
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 601-420 for an overall winning percentage of 58.9.
The Tide is Turning:
After winning just eight games last season, the Tide has collected 12 victories in 20 attempts this season. With its 12 wins, Alabama is tied 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 |
| T1. Fordham | 7 | 0 to 7 |
| T1. Central Connecticut | 7 | 4 to 11 |
| 3. Hofstra | 6 | 5 to 11 |
| T4. Alabama | 4 | 8 to 12 |
| T4. Eastern Washington | 4 | 4 to 8 |
| T4. Central Michigan | 4 | 6 to 10 |
| T4. Mercer | 4 | 4 to 8 |
| T4. Kent State | 4 | 4 to 8 |
| T9. Sam Houston State | 3 | 1 to 4 |
| T9. Colgate | 3 | 1 to 4 |
| T9. USC Upstate | 3 | 5 to 8 |
| T9. Washington State | 3 | 5 to 8 |
| T9. Cal State Northridge | 3 | 1 to 4 |
| T14. Idaho | 2 | 4 to 6 |
| T14. Austin Peay | 2 | 6 to 8 |
| T 14. Colorado State | 2 | 4 to 6 |
| T14. 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 4.2 blocks per game ranking it seventh in the SEC and 64th 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 have both hit 34 three-pointers for the Tide this season. Butler is 29.6 percent from downtown having hit 34 of 115 attempts, while Russell is 28.3 percent from beyond the arc connecting on 34 of 120 tries. Both have taken the majority of their shots from three-point range with Butler shooting 76.2 percent of her attempts from three and Russell shooting 63.8 percent of her shots from outside the line.
Alabama from Beyond the Arc:
The Tide has hit a three-point shot in 45 consecutive games. After having hit just five total in its three games prior to Auburn, Alabama found its shot again and burried eights treys against the Tigers. The last time the Tide went an entire contest without making a three was Nov. 24, 2007 against Washington State. Alabama went 0-3 for the game.
Equal Opportunity Scorers:
In Alabama's 20 games, six 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. Sophomores Alyson Butler and Varisia Raffington have led the way twice each. Junior Dedrea Magee, sophomore Katie Hancock and freshman Kayla Robinson have each led in point production once.
Strauthers Hitting Better than .500 for Career:
Junior Courtney Strauthers is currently averaging 52.0 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 51-108 on the season thus far for a 47.2 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 14 minutes or more. Junior Dedrea Magee leads the way with 24.8 minutes an outing.
`Bama on the Boards:
The Tide has been stellar on the boards out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 4.2 per game while collecting a total of 44.2 per contest. Alabama pulled down 50 rebounds or more in eight of 20 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 30.8 points per game this season and 615 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 |
| Jan. 18, 2009 | at Ole Miss | 15 points |
| Jan. 22, 2009 | at Auburn | 12 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 open the month of February at No. 17/18 Vanderbilt on Sunday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (CST). The Tide and Commodores squared off to open the SEC season in Tuscaloosa where Vanderbilt came out with the 85-76 win despite a tremendous effort to cut a 26-point deficit to just four by Alabama.
