Alabama
Mcneese State
Women's Basketball Tops McNeese State 69-53
11/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2010
| Alabama 69, McNeese State 53 [Box Score] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alicia Mitcham had the first double-double of her Alabama career with 18 points and 10 rebounds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama women's basketball team is off to its best start since 2002, following a 69-53 win over the McNeese State Cowgirls on Tuesday at Coleman Coliseum.
Crimson Tide senior forward Tierney Jenkins notched her fifth double-double of the season and 28th of her career, scoring 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Junior forward Alicia Mitcham and freshman forward Kaneisha Horn each set career-highs in points with 18 and 15, respectively for the Tide.
"Overall I thought it was a good game for Kaneisha Horn," Alabama Head Coach Wendell Hudson said. "She played really well - 15 points, eight rebounds and only three fouls. Tierney Jenkins, she is just Tierney Jenkins. I looked at the stats and thought, `How did she score 18 points?' It's kind of hard to complain about her."
Alabama led for the entire game, pushing the margin to as much as 22 in the second half. The Tide has notched double-digit margins of victory in all five of its games this year.
"I'm pleased with the way the team is progressing through," Hudson said. "We've got little things to work on. We've got to learn how to finish the basketball game." Alabama held the Cowgirls to just 1-of-17 (5.8 percent) shooting over the first 10:03 to take a commanding 23-4 lead. The Tide used a pair of 8-0 and 12-0 runs in building the margin to 19 as Jenkins and Mitcham led the way in the early going.
Alabama would expound the lead to 31-10 at the 6:51 juncture of the half before settling on a 37-25 halftime advantage.
McNeese State pulled within 10 points on two separate occasions early in the second half, but could get no closer the rest of the way. After the Cowgirls cut the lead to 41-31 at the 16:27 mark, Mitcham reeled off five consecutive points to give the Tide a 15-point cushion. Alabama would build upon its lead, using a 9-0 run midway through the half, to take 61-39 advantage at the 7:42 juncture. Freshman guard Jasmine Robinson, who finished the game with nine points, scored six points during the decisive run.
The Tide held McNeese State to just 18-of-62 (29 percent) shooting, including just 3-of-24 (12.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Sophomore Ashlyn Baggett led the Cowgirls with 14 points.
Alabama (5-0) returns to the hardwood on Nov. 26, against No. 14 Florida State in the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas. The Tide's next game at Coleman Coliseum will be on Dec. 1, versus Alabama State.
