Women's Basketball Welcomes Vanderbilt on Sunday
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The women's basketball team (12-9, 1-5 SEC) returns to Foster Auditorium on Sunday to host the Vanderbilt Commodores (11-8, 2-4 SEC) in a Sunday matinee game that will tip off at Noon and air on Fox Sports South.
PROMOTIONS
There are several promotions in place for Sunday's game against Vanderbilt including:
? We Back Pat supporting the Pat Summitt Foundation in its fight against Alzheimer's
? Dad & Daughter Package ($15)
o Two tickets o $10 concession voucher
o Alabama charm bracelet
o Alabama car emblem
? PARA Basketball Day - $3 admission for PARA basketball players
? Big Al's Kids Club Day - free admission for Big Al's Kids Club members
? Ashley Williams growth chart giveaway
? K9 Crew halftime show
? Postgame autographs
BROADCAST
Thursday's game will air on Fox Sports South with James Bates (play-by-play) and Brittany Jackson (analyst) on the call. The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Roger Hoover announcing the action. There will be live updates throughout the game available on Twitter @AlabamaWBB.
WE BACK PAT WEEK
During the week of January 18-26, SEC member institutions will offer support of The Pat Summitt Foundation during their home basketball games. At every SEC women's basketball game - 18 games in 14 cities - a variety of efforts including promotional public address announcements and video endorsements will help to increase awareness of the foundation and its mission in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Alabama's "We Back Pat" game will take place on Sunday, Jan. 25, against Vanderbilt.
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's game marks the 42nd in the series that dates back to 1978. Vanderbilt leads the count 29-12 against Alabama, however the Crimson Tide snapped a 12 game losing streak to the Commodores last season and also picked up Alabama's first win in Memorial Gym with the 66-62 victory. The Tide's last win in Tuscaloosa in the series came on Feb. 8, 2004 by a score of 81-68.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama picked up its first Southeastern Conference victory on Thursday evening as the Crimson Tide held on for a 51-50 win over instate rival Auburn at Foster Auditorium. Stifling defense and aggressive play helped Alabama claim the victory, especially late in the game as UA forced four Auburn turnovers in the final 2:41. Alabama had three players in double-figures, led by Karyla Middlebrook with 12 points and a team-high five assists. Ashley Williams added 11, while Nikki Hegstetter led the Tide in rebounds with six and added 10 points. The Tide also received big minutes from Khadijah Carter, who contributed a season-high eight points in the win. Williams continues to lead the team on the season in scoring with an average of 13.7 points per game and rebounding at 6.2 boards per contest.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt enters Sunday's game fresh off a 55-53 victory over Arkansas on Thursday in Nashville. The Commodores are 11-8 overall and 2-4 in league play thus far. As a team, Vanderbilt averages 63.6 points per game and 36.8 boards per contest. The Commodores' scoring is extremely balanced with 10 of their players averaging in the 6-10 point range per game led by Rebekah Dahlman at 10.2. Morgan Batey is Vanderbilt's leader in rebounds averaging 5.7 boards per outing.
THE COACHES
Alabama head coach Kristy Curry has a history of success in her 15 year career. Nine of her teams have made the NCAA tournament, including a trip to the 2001 championship game while coaching at Purdue. With the Boilermakers, she won two Big Ten regular season titles. She holds an overall coaching record of 335-174 and has led nine teams to 20-win seasons. The Commodores are led by Melanie Balcomb, who is in her 13th season at Vanderbilt. She has led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament for 12 straight years and made five NCAA Regional semifinal appearances. Balcomb helped Vanderbilt to three SEC Tournament championships and has had 11 20-plus win seasons. She owns a 451-231 overall record in her 22nd season, while sporting a 288-126 mark as head coach of the Commodores.
LAST MEETING
Alabama earned its first win in Memorial Gym in last season's meeting with a 66-62 victory over then-No. 25 Vanderbilt. The win for the Crimson Tide also snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Commodores that dated back to the 2004 season. Daisha Simmons had a team-high 21 points in the win in addition to six rebounds and five assists. She was joined in double figures by Ashley Williams, who had 18 points and six rebounds and Shafontaye Myers, who finished with 16 points. Briana Hutchen had a team-best eight rebounds. The Commodores were led by Christina Foggie, who was the lone player for Vanderbilt to record double-digit points with 22.
