Women's Basketball Hosts Alabama A&M on Monday
12/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The women's basketball team (9-2) will play its final game before breaking for the holidays on Monday, Dec. 20, when it hosts the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs (4-4) at 11:30 a.m. CT. The game will serve as the Crimson Tide's annual Fifth Grade Fastbreak contest that welcomes Tuscaloosa county fifth graders to Coleman Coliseum.
"This fifth grade game is not only one that we as coaches look forward to, but one the team also looks forward to," Alabama head coach Wendell Hudson said. "You have all those fifth graders in here, and they're going to cheer no matter if you're winning or losing or anything in between. They just keep up the noise. This place is rocking when those fifth graders are here."
Alabama had less than 48 hours to prepare for Alabama A&M as it last took on Belmont on Saturday where the Tide picked up a 64-46 win to improve to 7-0 in Coleman Coliseum this season. Junior Ericka Russell led the game in scoring with 17, while senior Tierney Jenkins chipped in 13 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Alabama forced 28 Bruin turnovers and held Belmont scoreless for nearly three minutes to open the contest.
Alabama A&M also played its last game on Saturday where it fell 84-58 to Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. The Lady Bulldogs are led in nearly every statistical category by junior Whiquitta Tobar who averages team-bests in points (18.4 ppg), rebounds (5.6 rpg), assists (3.8 apg) and steals (2.4 spg).
"This is going to be a tough game for us," Hudson added. "It is going to be a focus game. We're going to be off following that game until Christmas, so can we stay focused and come in ready to play in a game at 11:30 a.m.? With this team right here I would be surprised if we're not focused because this team has been focused and has played the way we have needed them to play in the 11 games that we've played."
Monday's contest will be the seventh all-time between Alabama and Alabama A&M with the Tide winning all six previous meetings. The two teams last met on Dec. 22, 2008, in Tuscaloosa in a game that went in favor of Alabama 76-65.
Single-game tickets are on sale at the cost of $5 for adults and $3 for youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the Alabama Ticket Office at 1.877.TIDETIX (843.3849).
