Alabama
Missouri State
Alabama Women’s Basketball Gears up for Back-to-Back Midweek Games
12/18/2017 7:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama women's basketball (7-3) will play a pair of midweek games before breaking for the holidays, hosting Missouri State (4-6) at 12 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Murray State (3-6) at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum.
THE BROADCAST
• Both games will stream live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app. Eli Gold (play-by-play) and Rick Moody (analyst) will be on the call. Rebecca Nesbit will join the team from the sidelines.
• The games can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 93.3 FM in Tuscaloosa with Roger Hoover on the broadcast.
TUESDAY PROMOTIONS
• Lunch Break with Women's Basketball: Pick up lunch at one of the food trucks parked outside of Coleman Coliseum to bring in as you cheer on the Tide.
WEDNESDAY PROMOTIONS
• Free Admission with Tuesday Ticket Stub: Bring your ticket stub from Tuesday's game and receive free admission.
OPENING TIP
• Alabama will be playing in its third and fourth of six consecutive home games when it takes on the Lady Bears and Racers. Following this week's games, the Crimson Tide will play its final non-conference game of the season on December 28 when it hosts Florida A&M before opening Southeastern Conference play on December 31 against Missouri.
• The Crimson Tide enters the week with a 5-0 record at home and is outscoring opponents by an average of 23.4 points per game (72.4-49.0) in Coleman Coliseum.
• Alabama holds a 1-0 record in the series with Missouri State having won the lone prior matchup, 86-53, in Tuscaloosa, on Dec. 30, 1985.
• The Crimson Tide will be taking on Murray State for the first time in program history.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama enters Tuesday's game with a 7-3 overall record following Sunday's win over SMU.
• The Crimson Tide is led in scoring by senior Hannah Cook, who averages 13.1 points per game. Fellow senior Ashley Williams is averaging a team-best 6.9 rebounds per contest, while sophomore Jordan Lewis leads the way in assists with 3.4 per game.
• Sophomore Ashley Knight leads the team and ranks third in the SEC and 12th nationally in blocks per game with an average of 2.90.
• As a team, the Crimson Tide is averaging 69.0 points per game, 14.2 more than its opponents, and is outrebounding the opposition 43.6-37.9.
• After finishing the 2016-17 season last in the SEC in free throw percentage, Alabama has jumped up to fourth, hitting 70.9 percent of its attempts as a team.
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
• Missouri State is 4-6 overall, however the Lady Bears are riding a three-game winning streak into Tuscaloosa, picking up victories over Wichita State, Oral Roberts and Northwestern.
• During that stretch, MSU averaged 86.7 points per game.
• The Lady Bears have beaten an SEC opponent in each of the past four seasons, defeating Missouri (twice), Arkansas (twice) and Ole Miss.
• Missouri State is led in scoring by senior Liza Fruendt, who averages 17.0 points per game. Fellow senior Aubrey Buckley is tops on the boards with 5.1 rebounds per contest.
• The Lady Bears are under the direction of former Tennessee standout Kellie (Jolly) Harper. Harper is in her fifth season with Missouri State, holding a 76-63 record at the helm. She is 243-192 overall in her 14 years as a head coach, which includes prior stops at NC State and Western Carolina.
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE
• Murray State will also be making a quick turnaround between games as the Racers take on Mississippi Valley State on Monday.
• Murray State is currently 3-6 on the season, which includes a 1-4 mark on the road.
• The Racers and Crimson Tide have two common opponents this season in Lipscomb and Alabama A&M. Murray State was edged out by one point at Lipscomb, 65-64, and fell at Alabama A&M, 71-54. Alabama defeated the Lady Bisons, 73-51, and opened its season with a 90-32 victory over the Lady Bulldogs.
• Murray State is led in scoring by senior Ke'Shunan James, who averages 20.3 points per game. She is also the leader in rebounds at 8.0 per contest and in assists with 3.9 per game.
• The Racers are under the direction of first year head coach Rechelle Turner. Prior to her stint at Murray State, Turner spent 21 seasons as the head coach of Murray High School, going 460-178 at MHS. Her 460 wins is the 20th-most career victories in Kentucky state history.
