Alabama
5-4
South Alabama
7-0
Alabama Falls to South Alabama, 72-67
12/5/2018 2:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Junior Jordan Lewis led the Crimson Tide with 18 points in her first game back from injury
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team fell to South Alabama in its 12th annual 5th Grade Fastbreak game on Wednesday afternoon inside Coleman Coliseum. With the loss the Crimson Tide drops to 5-4, while the Jaguars improve to 7-0.
"First of all I want to thank every fifth grader and every fifth grade administrator and teacher that made today happen," said head coach Kristy Curry. "Their support of this event is very special to our program, players and staff. We hope that they can go back to the classroom and their school on a daily basis and know that our kids worked hard today. I hope they take that message back with them to work hard in the classroom and be successful. A lot of them may not have ever been on campus, so I think today is a tremendous event from the educational standpoint and we thank all of them that came.
"Today was tough," Curry stated. "There was no way to validate it and we lost to a really good South Alabama team. I thought that we really missed a lot of shots, but I loved our effort and energy. We had 64 shot attempts to their 56, but we just missed a lot of looks and sometimes it just doesn't go in the basket. We just have to continue to stay positive. It was just a tough day."
In her first game back since missing five contests due to injury, junior Jordan Lewis poured in 18 points, while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Senior Shaquera Wade totaled 13 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Juniors Cierra Johnson and Jasmine Walker each tallied 11 points.
After both teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of the game, Alabama closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run over the last 2:27 to take an 18-9 lead into the second period.
South Alabama scored the final 14 points of the second quarter and held a 31-28 lead at halftime.
After USA went up 35-28 with 8:16 in the third, a 6-0 Alabama spurt cut the Jaguars' lead to 35-34 with 7:45 remaining in the frame. The game remained tight throughout the third, and South Alabama entered the fourth with a 49-45 advantage.
With South Alabama leading 65-57 with 2:31 remaining in the contest, back-to-back three-pointers by Johnson and Walker brought the Tide within two with 1:30 to go in the game. However, USA would close out the game on a 7-4 run to win 72-67.
The Crimson Tide forced 18 turnovers, including 10 steals. Alabama also won the rebounding battle, 39-37.
The Tide will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 8 when it takes on Tulane for the Teddy Bear Toss game. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum and will be broadcast on SEC Network +.
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