Alabama
Florida
Women’s Basketball Begins SEC Play Hosting Florida on Thursday
1/2/2019 7:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Crimson Tide will take on the Gators tomorrow at 7 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team will begin Southeastern Conference play versus Florida on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide (8-5) last played on Dec. 21 after going 1-1 in the Florida Sunshine Classic, while the Gators (4-9) most recently defeated Charleston Southern, 70-60 on Dec. 30 in Gainesville, Fla.
PROMOTIONS
• $1 Tickets
THE BROADCAST
• Thursday's game will be streamed live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app. Eli Gold (play-by-play) and Rick Moody (analyst) will be on the call and will be joined by sideline reporter Mackenzie McClintock.
• 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
• The Tide opens Southeastern Conference play against Florida on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum.
• The Crimson Tide (8-5) went 1-1 in the Florida Sunshine Classic after defeating Virginia 64-52 before falling to No. 24 Miami on Dec. 21 in Winter Park, Fla.
• Thursday's matchup is the 59th in history with the Tide leading the all-time series 30-28. The Gators have won the last three meetings in Tuscaloosa, while most recently Alabama defeated Florida a year ago on Jan. 4, 2018 in Gainesville, 63-54 for its first SEC win of the 2017-18 season.
ABOUT FLORIDA
• The Gators have struggled this season, compiling a 4-9 record through non-conference play, including going 0-5 in road games.
• Most recently, Florida defeated Charleston Southern 70-60 on Sunday in Gainesville.
• The Gators are led by graduate student Funda Nakkasoglu who is second in the SEC with 18.9 points per game and second among active SEC players in career points scored with 1,773.
• Last season UF finished the season with an 11-19 record and a 3-13 mark in SEC play.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Juniors Jordan Lewis and Cierra Johnson are coming off career performances in the Florida Sunshine Classic on Dec. 20-21 with Lewis pouring in a career-high 25 points in the win against Virginia, while Johnson put up a career-best 27 points in the loss against Miami. Both Lewis and Johnson were named to the Florida Sunshine Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances.
• Johnson has taken some time to get adjusted to the play of Division I competition, only averaging nine points per game through the first three games. However, the junior has scored in double digits in each of the last 10 games and was named to the Florida Sunshine Classic and Arizona State Classic All-Tournament Teams. She currently is tied for tops on the team with 13.5 points per game.
• Sophomore Jasmine Walker has been a staple in non-conference play this season with the Tide. The Montgomery, Ala. native, is currently second on the team in points and tops on the squad in rebounds with 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Walker also leads the team with three double-doubles this season and five games in which she has registered double-digit rebounds. Her 7.8 rebounds per contest ranks 11th in the SEC.
• Getting off to a good start has been key for the Tide this season, when leading at half UA is 8-0, while when trailing, 0-5. The Crimson Tide is outscoring its opponents by 40 points in the first half so far this season.
• Alabama has impressed the most when it's on its home court, compiling a 6-1 record, while combining for a 2-4 mark in games away from Coleman Coliseum. During its seven home games, the Tide is outscoring its opponents by an average margin of 16.9 points and has a rebounding margin of +11.4.
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