Alabama
West Alabama
Crimson Tide Women’s Basketball Rolls in Exhibition Matchup with West Alabama, 86-34
11/4/2016 9:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Juniors Meoshonti Knight and Ashley Williams led four in double figures with 16 points apiece
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Juniors Meoshonti Knight and Ashley Williams chipped in 16 points each to lead Alabama offensively in an 86-34 victory in exhibition play against West Alabama on Friday night in Coleman Coliseum.
"I appreciated our crowd tonight," said Alabama head coach Kristy Curry. "That was exciting to see for an exhibition game. As I was walking in the building tonight I had someone that had been a former manager say, 'Welcome home," and I thought that was pretty cool. We are excited to be back in Coleman Coliseum and have the opportunity to be here, and we want to represent in the right way."
Joining Knight and Williams in double figures was freshman Jordan Lewis, who got the start at point guard in her Crimson Tide debut, with 14 points and junior Quanetria Bolton, who added 12 points. Sophomore Shaquera Wade led Alabama in rebounds and steals with nine and five, respectively, to go along with her eight points. Senior Ariel Wilson was the top scorer for the Tigers, finishing with nine points.
Following some early miscues, which easily could have been attributed to it being the first game, Alabama went on a tear, outscoring West Alabama, 15-0 over the final 5:26 in the first quarter. The Tide continued to pour on the points with whatever lineup it chose and led 45-20 at the half
Alabama limited the Tigers to only four points in the third quarter, extending its advantage to 43 with 10:00 remaining in the game. The Tide pushed its lead out to as many as 52 over the fourth quarter, which is where the final margin would stand at when the buzzer sounded.
As a team, Alabama connected on 41.5 percent (27-65) of its attempts from the floor, while West Alabama made 25.9 percent (14-54) for the game. The Tide took advantage of its 40 trips to the free throw line, knocking down 30. Alabama forced 32 Tiger turnovers, 25 of which were steals.
"I think our kids came out with a lot of energy and some nerves," added Curry. "We overshot it a couple of times but loved our energy and our attention to taking care of the basketball tonight. There was not a turnover on the perimeter tonight, and that is hard to do. Nights like tonight are really good to be able to work through being in a game-like situation since that is hard to simulate in practice, so I thought it was a good start for us."
The Tide opens regular season play on Friday, Nov. 11, playing in the first game of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team. The women's team will tip off against New Orleans at 5 p.m. CT, while the men follow at 8 p.m. CT against Coastal Carolina.
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