Emerald Coast Classic Champs! No. 23/20 Alabama Women’s Basketball Defeats Clemson, 73-39 Tuesday

NICEVILLE, Fla. – The No. 23/20 Alabama women's basketball team used a dominating defense to help secure a 73-39 victory over Clemson on Tuesday to win the 2024 Emerald Coast Classic championship. The Crimson Tide, who defeated Alabama State 83-33 in the opening round of the event, improved to 8-0 on the season, equaling its best start since 2020-21.

Zaay Green led Alabama's offense with 17 points and six assists, while Essence Cody followed closely behind with 15. Aaliyah Nye (14) and Sarah Ashlee Barker (13) also picked up double figures and dished out four assists apiece to aid in the win. The Tide scored 42 of its 73 total points in the paint.

Mia Moore led Clemson (4-2) in scoring with 11 points, while Tessa Miller collected nine rebounds to lead the Tiger defense.

Head Coach Kristy Curry Comments

"We've had great balance the last two days. We had four in double figures and nearly a fifth. I thought we executed the game plan against a good Clemson team. I'm really proud of our team and who we are trying to be every day. It was just a great team effort. I think we are trying just to execute the defensive fundamentals each day. We talk a lot about multiple efforts. We knew they would try to shorten the game and make multiple passes. We have to do a better job with the little things, and I think we did a good job of affecting the ball tonight."

Game Notes

With the victory, Alabama moved to 8-0 on the year to remain undefeated which is the first time since the 2020-21 season
Zaay Green and Aaliyah Nye were named to the All-Tournament Team
Green also received the Most Valuable Player honor for the Emerald Coast Classic
The Tide's average margin of victory in tournament wins over Alabama State (50 points) and Clemson (34 points) was 42.0 points per game
Diana Collins picked up a career-high six rebounds, while Essence Cody recorded a season-high nine rebounds
Additionally, Karly Weathers tied her career-high in steals (5), with her and Sarah Ashlee Barker (5) accounting for 10 of the team's total 13 steals
The Tide held the lead through all four quarters, scoring 22 points in both the third and fourth
The Tide accounted for 42 of its 73 total points inside the paint, outscoring Clemson, 42-20, in the statistic
UA shot 46 percent from the floor (30-for-64), 35 percent (6-for-17) from deep and 77 percent (7-for-9) from the line
In comparison, the Tigers shot 25 percent (12-for-47) from the field, six percent (1-for-15) from deep and 87 percent (14-for-16) from the charity stripe

How it Happened

Alabama won the possession with Essence Cody opening the scoring with a layup
Aaliyah Nye banked back-to-back threes during the first to increase the Tide's lead while holding Clemson to just eight points (15-8)
Zaay Green led UA with eight points after shooting 4-5 from the field in the second quarter
Heading into the locker rooms, Alabama allowed Clemson only 14 points in the first half, which increased the Tide's lead by 15 (29-14)
Nye and Sarah Ashlee Barker combined for 15 of the team's 22 total points in the third quarter as the team shot 47 percent (8-of-17) from the floor (51-29)
The Tide scored another 22 points in the fourth on its way to a 34-point victory (73-39)

Up Next

Alabama will host Georgia State for its annual Fifth Grade Fast Break game on Monday, Dec. 2
The Crimson Tide and the Panthers are set to tipoff on SEC Network+ at 11 a.m. CT

University of Alabama Athletics