Women's Basketball Closes out Regular Season Sunday
2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2009
ALABAMA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (13-15, 1-12 SEC) vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE (20-8, 7-6 SEC)
Sunday, March 1, 2009 (Coleman Coliseum)
Tipoff: 2:00 p.m. (CST)
TV: WVUA (Tape Delayed - Will air Monday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m.)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
Promotions: Senior Day
Alabama and Mississippi State:
Alabama and Mississippi State are meeting for the first time this season and 44th time in the overall series that dates back to Jan. 15, 1977. The Crimson Tide owns a commanding 33-10 advantage over the Lady Bulldogs including 26 straight from the 1980-81 season to the 1998-99 season. Mississippi State has won the previous two meeting in the series. Alabama's last win came on Feb. 12, 2006 when it won 61-59 in Starkville. Below is a comparison on the last 10 matchups between the two programs.
| Jan. 31, 2008 | L, 79-59 | Starkville, Miss. |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | L, 89-70 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Feb. 12, 2006 | W, 61-59 | Starkville, Miss. |
| Jan. 30, 2005 | W, 72-61 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 13, 2005 | L, 84-77 | Starkville, Miss. |
| Feb. 29, 2004 | LOT, 81-78 | Starkville, Miss. |
| Jan. 25, 2004 | L, 65-57 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 30, 2003 | L, 72-56 | Starkville, Miss. |
| Feb. 7, 2002 | W, 92-86 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Jan. 21, 2001 | W, 65-62 | Starkville, Miss. |
Scouting Mississippi State:
With a win against South Carolina on Thursday, Mississippi State earned its 20th win of the season improving to 20-8 overall and 7-6 in SEC play. The Lady Bulldogs are yet to reach the top 25 but have received votes seven different weeks including the last three straight.
Mississippi State has one of the best shot blockers in the nation in junior Chanel Mokango. She averages 3.1 rejections per contest ranking her first in the SEC and sixth nationally. As a team, the Lady Bulldogs average 6.4 blocks per game putting it at No. 5 amongst NCAA Division I teams. Offensively, Mississippi State is led by junior Alexis Rack with an average of 14.5 points per game. Rack is also ranked nationally in three-point field goals made per game with a 2.9 average. In addition, she leads the team in assists with 4.4 per contest.
Alabama and the Southeastern Conference:
The Tide's all-time record against league foes is 121-191 (.388). 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 | 1-12 | ---- |
| 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 |
Finally:
Alabama snapped a 25-game losing skid against conference opponents with its 67-59 win over Ole Miss on Feb. 19. In addition, the win marked the first for the Tide in the month of February since Feb. 16, 2006 when it beat Mississippi State on the road 61-59.
Who to Watch:
Sophomore Tierney Jenkins had one of the best games of her career against Ole Miss. Her 25 points and 14 rebounds gave Jenkins her seventh double-double of the season and 12th of her career. She was 8-15 from the floor and 9-11 from the free-throw line. Jenkins crushed the glass pulling in five offensive boards and nine defensive rebounds in her 30 minutes of play. In addition, Jenkins tied her career high assists with four and added two blocks.
Last Time Out:
Alabama dropped a close 74-69 decision at Arkansas on Sunday despite three players in double figures. The Tide was led offensively by sophomore Varisia Raffington with 19 points. Also scoring in double figures were juniors Dedrea Magee and Courtney Strauthers with 14 and 10, respectively. Magee also led the team in assists with seven, while sophomore Tierney Jenkins was the team's leading rebounder with eight boards. For the game, Alabama had 44 rebounds, including 24 on the offensive end.
40 Minute Magee:
Junior guard Dedrea Magee has played four entire games this season for Alabama including the last three in a row. The first of her 40-minute performances came at Auburn on Jan. 22 followed by the Tide's road contests at Tennessee on Feb. 12 and South Carolina on Feb. 15 and home win against Ole Miss on Feb. 19.
Raffington Coming Alive in SEC Play:
Varisia Raffington has stepped up to become the Tide's go-to player in conference action. The sophomore is currently tied for second for most three-pointers in a game (seven at Vanderbilt), third in field goal percentage (.469), eighth in scoring (14.1 ppg) and 12th in three-pointers made per contest (1.6).
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 603-426 for an overall winning percentage of 58.6.
Point-Production Improvement:
With an average of 64.5 points per game, Alabama is producing just under 10 more points per contest this season compared to last season. The Tide managed just 54.9 points per outing at the conclusion of the 2007-08 year.
The Tide is Turning:
After winning just eight games last season, the Tide has collected 13 victories thus far this season. Alabama's five game win improvement is tied for 18th for best turnaround in the nation.
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.
Butler and Russell from Downtown:
Freshman Ericka Russell leads Alabama in three-pointers this season with 50. She is 27.0 percent from beyond the arc thus far hitting 50 of 185 attempts. Right behind Russell is sophomore Alyson Butler with 38 threes. Butler has made 26.2 percent of her shots from three-point range having connected on 38 of 145 attempts. Both have taken the majority of their shots from three-point range with Russell shooting 64.7 percent of her shots from outside the line and Butler taking 75.1 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc.
Alabama from Beyond the Arc:
The Tide has hit a three-point shot in 53 consecutive games. In Alabama's game at Vanderbilt on Feb. 1, the Tide connected on 10 attempts from beyond the arc. That was the first time Alabama has hit 10 or more threes in a game since Dec. 4, 2006 when it hit 11 against McNeese State. 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 28 games, six different players have led the Tide in scoring. Sophomore Tierney Jenkins has been Alabama's leading scorer nine times, while freshman Ericka Russell has topped the Tide six times. Sophomore Varisia Raffington has led the way six times, while junior Dedrea Magee and sophomore Alyson Butler have twice. Sophomore Katie Hancock and freshman Kayla Robinson have each led in point production once. Jenkins and Raffington collected 13 points each to lead the Tide against Auburn on Feb. 8 and Jenkins, Magee and Russell each collected 12 points to lead the team at South Carolina.
Everyone is Packing the House against the Tide:
Alabama has taken part in four NCAA Pack the House Challenge games this season. Aside from its own game at home against Auburn, the Tide was a guest for Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss, and South Carolina's Pack the House Challenge game.
Strauthers Hitting Better than .500 for Career:
Junior Courtney Strauthers is currently averaging 51.3 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 67-144 on the season thus far for a 46.5 clip.
Variety is the Spice of Life:
A total of 14 players have seen court time in Alabama's games this season. Twelve of those 14 players are averaging nine minutes or more. Junior Dedrea Magee leads the way with 27.4 minutes an outing.
`Bama on the Boards:
The Tide has been solid on the boards collecting a total of 41.5 per contest. Alabama pulled down 50 rebounds or more in eight games this season, including a high of 60 against Sam Houston State on Dec. 7.
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.
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 North Little Rock, Ark. for the SEC Tournament March 5-8 at ALLTEL Arena. The Tide will play Tennessee, the No. 5 seed, at 6:30 p.m. (CST) on March 5. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports South.
