Alabama
9-3,0-1SEC
No. 7/9 Tennessee
12-1,1-0SEC
Alabama Falls at No. 7/9 Tennessee in Southeastern Conference Opener, 62-44
12/30/2021 8:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In the grittiest matchup the Crimson Tide has seen this season, the University of Alabama women's basketball team fell at No. 7/9 Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference opener Thursday, 62-44, inside Thompson Boling-Arena. The Crimson Tide dropped to 9-3 (0-1), while the Lady Volunteers improved to 12-1 (1-0).
The Crimson Tide featured balanced scoring in the conference opener, as Brittany Davis paced the team with 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting. The senior tacked on six rebounds and dished out two assists in the game. JaMya Mingo-Young also posted double-digit scoring, contributing 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, grabbing six boards.
The Lady Volunteers outscored the Crimson Tide, 23-12, in the first quarter, but it was the second and third quarters when the game began to tilt in the Tide's favor. Alabama's defense held Tennessee to just seven and eight points in the second and third quarters, respectively. UA eventually tied UT in the middle of the third quarter, 30-30, before taking its first and only lead of the game moments later, 32-30 (3Q, 3:51).
Despite the Lady Volunteers holding just a one-point lead to begin the fourth quarter, the final frame brought its challenges. Tennessee began the stretch on a 9-0 run, building a 10-point lead it would maintain the rest of the game, while limiting Alabama to just seven points, which tied for its fewest points in a quarter this season.
The Crimson Tide made 17 of its 71 attempts from the field, collecting 41 rebounds, while the Lady Volunteers knocked down 24 of their 56 attempts from the field, grabbing 46 off the glass.
News and Notes
- Alabama is in its 48th season with a 800-617 (.565) all-time record.
- The Crimson Tide owns a 410-200 (.672) all-time home record.
- The Crimson Tide is 9-3 (0-1 SEC) in 2021-22.
- The Crimson Tide is 0-1 against Associated Press Top 25 teams this season.
- Kristy Curry is in her ninth season as the head coach of the Crimson Tide, holding a 142-121 record in her time at The Capstone.
- Curry is in her 23rd season as a head coach in her career, holding a 451-270 mark all-time.
- Alabama's starting combination included guards Megan Abrams, Hannah Barber, JaMya Mingo-Young and Brittany Davis, and center Jada Rice, for the 12th straight game.
- JaMya Mingo-Young scored first for Alabama in the game.
- Myra Gordon was the first sub for the Crimson Tide.
- Alabama won the opening tip.
- Alabama forced Tennessee into one shot clock violation in the game in the first quarter.
- The Crimson Tide defense forced the Lady Volunteers to commit 15 turnovers, scoring 15 points as a result.
- Alabama recorded just 11 turnovers, as Tennessee posted 10 points off those errors.
- The Tide has won the turnover battle in 11 of 12 games this season.
- Brittany Davis recorded 12 points against Tennessee, scoring in double figures in 11 of 12 games this season.
How It Happened
- By the first media timeout (1Q, 4:25), Tennessee led Alabama, 12-5.
- The Lady Volunteers hit first, scoring the game's first four points. The Lady Volunteers went into the first timeout on 5-of-9 shooting and 2-of-4 from long range.
- JaMya Mingo-Young hit the Crimson Tide's first bucket, a 3-pointer thanks to an assist by Brittany Davis. The Tide went into the first timeout on 2-of-7 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from the arc.
- Rebounds played a factor in the opening frame, as the Lady Volunteers outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 7-2.
- Tennessee led Alabama, 23-12, at the end of the first quarter.
- The Crimson Tide improved on the boards in the final five minutes of the first quarter, outrebounding the Lady Volunteers, 6-4 in those final minutes.
- By the second media timeout (2Q, 4:32), Tennessee's defense held Alabama off the scoreboard for more than three minutes, while enjoying a 28-16 lead.
- The Crimson Tide made seven of its 24 attempts from the field, while the Lady Volunteers made 10 of their 24 attempts from the field, meanwhile the Vols led the Tide in rebounding, 22-12.
- JaMya Mingo-Young and Brittany Davis had back-to-back daggers to put them within two possessions of Tennessee near the two-minute mark in the second quarter (28-24, Tennessee).
- Tennessee's Tamari Key would respond with a layup, stretching Tennessee's lead, 30-24, before both teams went scoreless for the final two minutes of the first half.
- Alabama trailed Tennessee by just six points at halftime, 30-24.
- The Crimson Tide limited the Lady Volunteers to just seven points in the second quarter (3-of-15 FG), while matching its first-quarter 12 points (4-of-19 FG).
- The Crimson Tide forced the Lady Volunteers into four turnovers in the final five minutes of the first half and 10 overall, committing just six themselves.
- The Lady Volunteers outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 25-19, in the first two quarters.
- Brittany Davis sat for more than nine minutes of the first half with two personal fouls.
- Megan Abrams left the game in the first half with an injury on the floor and did not return for the rest of the game.
- Brittany Davis scored first out of the half, cutting Tennessee's lead to just four points (30-26), then Hannah Barber scored on a 3-pointer, cutting Tennessee's lead to just one point (30-29).
- Brittany Davis tied the game on a free-throw make at the 5:52 in the third quarter.
- Alabama's defense held Tennessee off the scoreboard to open the half until 3:30 in the third quarter.
- By the end of the third quarter, Tennessee led Alabama, 38-37.
- Alabama held Tennessee to just eight points in the third quarter, while the Crimson Tide enjoyed its highest-scoring quarter of the game on 13 points (5-of-17 FG).
- Tennessee scored the first nine points to open the fourth quarter, on 4-of-5 shooting from the paint, stretching its lead to 47-37.
- Hannah Barber scored first for the Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter (6:36), slipping a layup past Tamari Key.
- The Lady Volunteers defense held the Crimson Tide to just seven points in the fourth quarter, as they developed a 10-point lead it would maintain the remainder of the game.
Up Next
Alabama women's basketball will return home to host Auburn Sunday, Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum.
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