Alabama
NC State
Alabama Women’s Basketball to Face NC State and Elon in Puerto Rico Clasico
11/22/2017 1:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team (4-0) travels to Fort Lauderdale this week to take on NC State (5-0) and Elon (3-0) in the Puerto Rico Clasico, which will be held at Cardinal Gibbons High School. Thursday's game against the Wolfpack will tip at 1:30 p.m. CT, while Friday's tilt with the Phoenix is slated for 4 p.m. CT.
THE BROADCAST
• Both games will be streamed live on FloHoops.
• The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 93.3 FM in Tuscaloosa with Roger Hoover on the broadcast.
OPENING TIP
• Alabama will play its only two neutral site games of the regular season this week when it takes on NC State and Elon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the Puerto Rico Clasico.
• The tournament, which was originally schedule to be played in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, was relocated due to the damage caused to the island by Hurricane Maria.
• The Crimson Tide enters the tournament with a 4-0 record under fifth-year head coach Kristy Curry.
• Alabama is led in scoring by senior Hannah Cook, who averages a team-best 13.8 points per game and in rebounding by fellow senior Ashley Williams, who leads the Tide with 8.0 boards per contest.
• Sophomore Ashley Knight leads the Southeastern Conference in both total blocks (15) and blocks per game (3.8). Those numbers are also good for fourth and 10th in the nation, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT
• Alabama beat Georgia Southern by 48 points (84-36), marking the largest margin of victory on the road since the Tide won at Troy, 119-43, on Jan. 12, 1994.
• Alabama had 10 different players score in the game.
• The Tide held the Eagles to just 24 percent shooting and 15 second-half points.
• Alabama dominated on the glass, pulling down 58 rebounds.
ABOUT NC STATE
• NC State entered the USA Today Coaches Poll on Tuesday at No. 23 after its 5-0 start to the season.
• The Wolfpack has four averaging double-figure points, led by senior Chelsea Nelson's 14.8 points-per-game average.
• Redshirt sophomore Kaila Ealey paces NC State in both rebounding (7.4 rpg) and assists (5.2 apg) thus far.
• As a team, the Wolfpack is averaging 73.6 points per game, 22.8 points per game higher than its opponents.
• NC State has also been dominant on the boards, averaging 46.4 rebounds per contest as a team.
• Wes Moore is in his fifth season as head coach of the Wolfpack. He's led NC State to two NCAA tournaments in his tenure.
• Alabama holds a slight 3-2 lead in the series against NC State, however the Wolfpack won the last meeting, 79-57, in Raleigh.
ABOUT ELON
• Following its 3-0 start, Elon is ranked sixth in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major poll.
• The Phoenix have three players averaging 14.0 points per game or more, led by sophomore Ra'Shika White, who accounts for 18.0 per contest.
• Just behind White is senior Shay Burnett, who averages 15.7 points per game and a team-high 8.0 rebounds and 9.7 assists per outing.
• As a team, Elon is averaging 90.0 points per game while holding its opponents to only 51.7.
• The Phoenix are under the direction of Charlotte Smith, who is in her seventh season at the helm. She guided Elon to the CAA regular season and tournament titles in 2017.
• Alabama and Elon are meeting for the second time in program history on Friday. The Tide won the first meeting, 74-79, on Dec. 18, 1998.
TIDE RECEIVING VOTES IN AP POLL
• Following the first week of play, Alabama has received four votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
• The Crimson Tide is one of eight Southeastern Conference teams to appear in the poll.
CAREER RECORD WATCH
• Quanetria Bolton, Ashley Knight, Ashley Williams and Hannah Cook are all in the midst of making their way up career lists at Alabama. See below for current standings.
Career Blocks
1 187 Yolanda Watkins 1992-97
2 138 Dee Merriweather 2002-06
3 125 Leslie Payne 1977-81
4 105 Ashley Knight 2017-present
5 103 Joni Crenshaw 1998-2001
6 101 Quanetria Bolton 2015-present
Career Rebounds
1 1,096 Yolanda Watkins 1992-97
2 1,076 Carol Smith 1982-86
3 1,036 Tierney Jenkins 2008-11
4 909 Dominique Canty 1995-99
5 823 Terri Hillard 1980-84
6 809 Leslie Payne 1977-81
7 757 Dee Merriweather 2002-06
8 741 Niesa Johnson 1991-95
9 664 Laura Vaughn 1987-91
10 654 Ashley Williams 2014-present
Three-Point Field Goals Made
1 272 Betsy Harris 1990-94
2 270 Beth Vice 1998-2003
3 265 Niesa Johnson 1991-95
4 212 Ericka Russell 2008-12
5 211 Hannah Cook 2015-present
211 Shafontaye Myers 2010-14
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
1 761 Niesa Johnson 1991-95
2 729 Betsy Harris 1990-94
3 719 Beth Vice 1998-2003
4 709 Ericka Russell 2008-12
5 693 Shafontaye Myers 2010-14
6 642 Brittney Ezell 1994-98
7 623 Hannah Cook 2015-present
