Alabama
Vanderbilt
Alabama Looks to Get Back on Track on the Road Against Vanderbilt
2/20/2019 2:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Crimson Tide will take on the Commodores on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT in Nashville
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team will attempt to get back on track when it travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide (11-14, 3-9 SEC) are currently on a four-game losing streak, while the Commodores (6-19, 1-11 SEC) have lost their last six.
THE BROADCAST
• Thursday's game will be streamed on SEC Network via the WatchESPN app. Kevin Ingram (play-by-play) and Jessica Holeman (analyst) will be on the call.
• The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 100.1 FM in Tuscaloosa with Roger Hoover on the broadcast.
OPENING TIP
• UA will try to get out of a four-game slump when it travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. CT.
• Last time out, the Crimson Tide (11-14, 3-9 SEC) fell to Auburn on Sunday inside Auburn Arena, while the Commodores (6-19, 1-11 SEC) have lost six straight games.
• This is the 49th meeting between the two schools with Vanderbilt holding the 34-14 all-time advantage. The Tide won the last meeting, 77-75, in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 21, 2018. Alabama is 1-19 against the Commodores in Nashville, with the lone victory coming on Feb. 23, 2014.
ABOUT VANDERBILT
• Vandy has lost its last six games, with its last and only SEC win coming against Ole Miss, 80-68, on Jan. 24 at home.
• Mariella Fasoula leads the Commodores with 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. VU has one additional player who averages double figures in Cierra Walker with 10.5 points this season.
• Vanderbilt is 6-7 at Memorial Gymnasium, while compiling a 1-12 record away from home.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Sophomores Jasmine Walker and Ariyah Copeland have both been double-double machines with Walker leading the team with five on the year, while Copeland has tallied four. Walker and Copeland are the first Alabama duo since the 1998-99 season to compile four or more double-doubles in the same season.
• Copeland has made significant strides from her freshman season to now. This season the sophomore is tops on the team with 1.3 blocks per game (9th in SEC) and second on the squad with 7.1 rebounds (15th in SEC) per contest. Copeland is also putting up 8.2 points per game, compared to averaging three points a game in 2017-18. The Columbus, Ga., native is second on the team with four double-doubles and has started the last 16 games for the Tide. She is also averaging 1.3 blocks (4th in SEC) and 7.7 rebounds (9th in SEC) through 12 SEC games.
• Walker has made great improvements this season with the Tide. The Montgomery, Ala. native, is currently the second leading scorer among active members on the team and is the leading rebounder with 13 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Walker also leads the team with five double-doubles this season and has seven games in which she has registered double-digit rebounds. At 37.5 percent from the three-point line, she is also first on the team in percentage and first in three-pointers made (44). Her 13 points per game ranks 19th in the league, while her 7.5 rebounds per contest ranks 10th in the SEC. In 12 conference games, Walker has been on fire from beyond the arc, knocking down 27-of-65 (41.5 percent) from three-point land, which is fifth in the conference.
• Junior Cierra Johnson has scored in double digits in 18 of the last 22 contests. She is currently first on the team with 13.7 points per game and in total assists with 73 through 25 games. Johnson is also the top-rebounding guard on the squad and third on the team with 4.4 per contest. The junior has twice as many free throw attempts (124) and makes (91) than any other player on the team. At the beginning of SEC play, Johnson moved from shooting guard to starting at the point guard position with the injury to Jordan Lewis. Over those 12 contests, Johnson is averaging 14 points (18th in SEC), 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
• Getting off to a hot start has been key for the Tide this season, when leading at half UA is 10-1, while when trailing, 1-13.
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