Alabama
20-10,9-7SEC
Kentucky
12-18,2-14SEC
Alabama Falls to Kentucky, 71-58, in Second Round of SEC Tournament
3/2/2023 11:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Crimson Tide was led by a 15 point, three-steal performance from Aaliyah Nye
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Alabama women's basketball team fell 71-58 to Kentucky in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.
Aaliyah Nye recorded 15 points, three steals and a block to lead Alabama (20-10, 9-7 SEC) in the game. Brittany Davis added nine points and seven boards, while Sarah Ashlee Barker had six points, six boards, three blocks and three assists in the loss.
Kentucky (12-18, 2-14 SEC) was led by Jada Walker, who tallied 24 points and six steals. Maddie Scherr added 19 points and six blocks while Eniya Russell had 12 points and a block in the win.
Alabama Head Coach Kristy Curry Said
"Credit to Kentucky. I thought they did a phenomenal job of really defensively being disruptive. We turned it over 19 times. When we did get to the free throw line we were 1-for-10, and that's uncharacteristic for us. It's the time of year where players have to step up and make plays, and I certainly thought their kids stepped up and had a lot of momentum from yesterday. They have had a lot of adversity this year so it's a credit to that staff and those kids for putting themselves into position on two back-to-back days to bring a tremendous effort. We had way too many looks at the rim. You have to finish shots, you can't turn the ball over, and you got to make free throws. Credit to Kentucky, and we will sit back and continue to try and see what happens to us on Selection Sunday and get better. We will go back to work on Saturday."
Game Stats
- Kentucky capitalized on 19 Alabama turnovers which led to 22 points
- Jada Rice tallied two blocks in the game to bring her season total to 66, ranking third in program history
- Alabama was 38.7 percent from the field and 36 percent from distance, in addition to going 1-for-10 from the free throw line
- Kentucky shot 50 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from distance
- Alabama led in rebounds (36-31), including a 15-5 advantage in offensive boards
How It Happened
- Alabama opened the game strong, taking a 10-5 lead off a three pointer from Hannah Barber at 6:45
- The Tide held its lead, finishing the opening stanza with a 20-15 advantage
- Kentucky made it a one-point game (22-21) off of back-to-back layups at 7:26 in the second quarter, but baskets from Rice and Nye pushed the lead back out to five
- The Crimson Tide would head into halftime with a six-point advantage (32-26) thanks to three pointers from Ryan Cobbins and Nye
- Alabama shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from distance in the half
- Kentucky was 39.3 percent from the field which included just one basket from beyond the arc
- A pair of layups from Nye gave Alabama a 10-point advantage early in the third quarter (7:12)
- Kentucky would battle back, outscoring the Tide 14-4 over the next five minutes to tie the game at 40-40
- The two teams traded points with UA heading into the final stanza with a 45-44 lead
- A 6-0 start for the Wildcats gave Kentucky its first lead (51-45) since the first two minutes of the game
- Alabama's offense would get going with a trio of threes but Kentucky extended its lead to 11 (65-54) with 2:10 to play
- The Wildcats captured five straight points for a 13-point win
Next Up
- Alabama will await selection for the NCAA Tournament
- The selection show will air March 12 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaWBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook
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