Alabama
13-2, 1-1SEC
University of Mississippi
12-3, 1-1SEC
Career-High Performance from Meoshonti Knight Leads Alabama Women’s Basketball over Ole Miss, 90-80
1/5/2017 10:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Crimson Tide scores its most points in an SEC game in three years
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Junior Meoshonti Knight scored a career-high 29 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to guide the Alabama women's basketball team (13-2, 1-1 SEC) to a 90-80 victory over Ole Miss (12-3, 1-1 SEC) Thursday night in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide's 90 points were the most it has scored in a Southeastern Conference game since it put up 93 on the Rebels on Jan. 12, 2014, and the first league victory in Coleman Coliseum since Feb. 7, 2010, a 55-53 win over Auburn.
"I'm sure excited for our team," said Alabama head coach Kristy Curry. "To bounce back the way we did with the character and toughness against a very good Ole Miss team. That's a really good team and a really improved team. They're going to beat a lot of people in our league this year. I just thought it was a really great SEC game. Both teams just played their hearts out, and we were very thankful to make a few plays down the stretch and put ourselves in a position, with some free throws, to win the game."
Joining Knight in double figures was junior Hannah Cook with 18 points, sophomore Shaquera Wade with 12 points and freshman Jordan Lewis with 11 points. Lewis also finished with a game-high seven assists, one shy of her career high, while fellow freshman Ashley Knight collected five blocks to enter her in Alabama's single season top 10 list for blocks and tie her with Quanetria Bolton for seventh by game's end. Knight now has 41 rejections through 15 games.
Ole Miss was led by sophomore Madinah Muhammad, who finished with 20 points, while junior Chrishae Rowe added 18 points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists.
What began as a back-and-forth battle soon swayed in the Tide's favor as Alabama scored five unanswered to spark an 18-4 run and end the first with a 26-13 lead.
The Tide extended its lead out to 15 before Ole Miss scored eight straight to cut its deficit to seven at the 4:54 mark of the second. Alabama pushed it back out to double digits, but another run for the Rebels made it a six-point game at the half, 39-33.
The Tide led for double digits for the majority of the third, thanks to a quick start. A three by junior Shandricka Sessom with 2:53 to go cut it to eight, but Alabama closed out the quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 17-point lead into the final period.
Ole Miss opened the fourth on a 10-3 run before the Tide answered by scoring seven of the next 10 points to extend the lead back out to 14 with 4:32 to go. The Rebels countered again, this time chipping it down to a five-point game with 90 seconds remaining. The two teams traded fouls and free throws for the duration where Alabama went 10-for-12 from the line to secure the victory.
For the game, the Tide attempted 50 free throw, just six away from the program record. Thirty-two of those attempts came in the fourth quarter. Alabama shot 49.0 percent (24-49) for the game, while Ole Miss went 43.1 percent (28-65) from the floor. The Tide also outrebounded the Rebels, 42-29.
Alabama hits the road for its next matchup, traveling to Columbia, Mo. to take on the Missouri Tigers on Sunday, Jan. 8. Tip is set for 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network +.
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