Alabama
South Carolina
Crimson Tide Continues Road Swing in Columbia Against No. 4/3 Gamecocks
1/30/2021 10:06:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Alabama and South Carolina to meet for the second time this season on Sunday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama women's basketball will play its second road game of the week against a ranked opponent with Sunday's matchup in Columbia against No. 4/3 South Carolina. The game will tip at 2 p.m. CT in Colonial Life Arena.
FOLLOW ALONG
Sunday's game will air live on the SEC Network with Tiffany Greene and Steffi Sorensen calling the action. It can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network (WTBC-AM 1230 in Tuscaloosa) with Roger Hoover providing the play-by-play.
OPENING TIP
- Alabama enters Sunday's game at South Carolina in a four-way tie for fourth in the Southeastern Conference with a 12-3 overall record and 5-3 mark in league play.
- The Tide has won five of its first eight SEC games for the first time since 1997-98 season.
- Alabama currently ranks 29th in the NET with a 5-3 record against teams ranked in the top 100.
- The Tide's three losses came to teams ranked No. 3 (South Carolina), No. 14 (Tennessee) and No. 20 (Kentucky) in the NET.
- Alabama's 76.1 point-per-game average is the highest average it has had in nearly two decades.
- The Tide is No. 1 in the SEC in free throw percentage (75.9) and No. 2 in the league in three-point field goals per game (8.4).
- Alabama has the top three-point shooter in the SEC in Walker, who leads the league in makes (47), attempts (115) and per game (3.13).
- Walker is also the only player in the SEC to rank in the top five in the conference in both scoring (20.1 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg).
- The Tide has the most experienced point guard in the SEC in Lewis, who has started every game she's played in since she arrived on campus in 2016 (117 games).
- Lewis is also the SEC's active leader in assists (464) and is No. 4 in career steals (145), No. 5 in career points (1,375) and No. 12 in career rebounds (482).
- Alabama is the only school to boast two of the top five scorers in SEC play with Lewis at No. 4 (19.6 ppg) and Walker (18.3 ppg).
- Sunday's meeting between the Crimson Tide and Gamecocks is the second between the two programs this year and 43rd overall in the series that began in 1979.
- Alabama won 11 straight during the 90s and early 2000s, before South Carolina went on a streak of its own, winning the last 17 straight and 24 of the last 27.
- In this season's earlier meeting, the Gamecocks won 77-60 in Tuscaloosa, led by Destanni Henderson's 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
- Despite the loss, Lewis scored a career-high 28 points for the Tide.
- South Carolina dominated the boards, outrebounding Alabama, 55-31.
- Alabama's last win in Columbia came on Feb. 17, 2000 by a score of 69-67.
Last Five Meetings
|
Jan. 4, 2021 |
L |
60-77 |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
|
Jan. 5, 2020 |
L |
78-93 |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
|
Jan. 6, 2019 |
L |
59-62 |
Columbia, S.C. |
|
Feb. 8, 2018 |
L |
66-79 |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
|
Jan. 1, 2017 |
L |
45-93 |
Columbia, S.C. |
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
- The Gamecocks enter Sunday's game first in the SEC with an 8-0 record in league play and 13-1 mark overall.
- South Carolina is averaging 80.4 point per game against SEC teams, while limiting its opponents to 60.1 points per contest.
- South Carolina is led offensively by Preseason All-SEC selection Zia Cooke, who averages 16.3 points per game, while Preseason All-American Aliyah Boston averages a double-double of 14.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in addition to 3.1 blocks per contest.
- South Carolina is under the direction of Dawn Staley, who is in her 13th season with the Gamecocks and 21st overall as a head coach. Staley led South Carolina to the 2017 NCAA National Championship, five SEC regular-season championships and five conference tournament titles.
LAST TIME OUT
- Alabama lost its first road game of the season on Thursday, falling 81-68 at No. 15/14 Kentucky.
- Walker led the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds in addition to a trio of blocks.
- She was joined in double figures by Lewis, who added 15 points and seven assists for the Tide.
- The game was locked at 17 at the end of the first, but a 14-2 run by Kentucky in the second helped the Wildcats to a 39-28 lead at the half.
- Kentucky would go on to lead by as many as 22 in the third, however solid shooting from beyond the arc for Alabama would cut the lead down to eight in the final quarter.
- The Wildcats went on to score 12 of the final 19 points down the stretch to secure the win.
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