Alabama
20-5,7-4SEC
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Mississippi State
17-8,4-7SEC
No. 23/23 Alabama Earns 20th Win After Defeating Mississippi State, 80-60
2/9/2025 4:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The win marked the fastest the Crimson Tide has earned 20 victories in program history
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The No. 23/23 Alabama women's basketball team defeated Mississippi State, 80-60, Sunday afternoon in Starkville, Miss. The win marks the fastest a Crimson Tide team has reached 20 wins as the team improved to 20-5 overall and 7-4 in SEC play.
Sarah Ashlee Barker led Alabama as one of four starters to score in double figures. Barker recorded her second double-double in as many games, scoring 19 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and tying her career-high eight assists. Essence Cody posted 17 points, while Zaay Green and Aaliyah Nye each scored 12 points. Karly Weathers added nine points with three assists as the UA starting five scored 69 of the Tide's total 80 points. Barker (four) and Nye (three) combined for seven of the team's nine steals.
Debreasha Powe led Mississippi State (17-8, 4-7 SEC), scoring 14 points for the Bulldogs.
Head Coach Kristy Curry Comments
"Just great execution of the game plan by our group. I thought collectively, everyone from our bench to our first group did an excellent job today of understanding the importance of player tendencies and all the things that we wanted to do defensively to get our defense set. We weren't happy at Florida, we gave up 18 offensive boards and we did a much better job with that today, defending the glass. It was a total team win today with great balance offensively and defensively."
Game Notes
- Alabama earned its 20th win on the season, marking the fastest in program history to reach the milestone
- Four Crimson Tide starters (Barker, Cody, Green and Nye) all scored in double figures for the first time in conference play this season
- UA picked up its first win in Humphrey Coliseum since Feb. 19, 2023
- Sarah Ashlee Barker nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists
- Essence Cody finished in double figures, for the third straight game, as the sophomore scored 17 points to go with seven rebounds and four blocks
- Alabama shot 50 percent from the floor (30-of-53), 52 percent from deep (9-of-17) and 68 percent from the line (11-of-16)
- In comparison, Mississippi State shot 34 percent from the field (22-of-63), 22 percent from three-point range (4-of-18) and 80 percent from the charity stripe (12-of-15)
How it Happened
- In the opening two minutes, Alabama went on a 8-0 run highlighted by back-to-back three-points from Karly Weathers and Aaliyah Nye before the first media timeout
- The Tide's defense aided in the team's 26 first quarter points, as the team stole the ball six times, including a pair of steals from both Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye, to take a 26-11 lead after the opening period
- UA held MSU to 11 points in the second quarter, as the Tide continued its tough defensive effort to extend its lead to 47-22 at intermission
- Mississippi State opened the third on a run of its own, outscoring Alabama 13-10 through the first media timeout of the second half
- The Bulldogs cut the score to 17 after going on a 12-2 run across 3:35 minutes during the third quarter
- The Tide scored 19 points to increase the lead to 66-44 as the teams headed into the fourth quarter
- Mississippi State opened the fourth on 8-0 run across 2:58 minutes to bring the score within 16 points
- Alabama closed out the game 3-of-5 from the floor over the final 3:35 of action to push its lead to 20 points
Up Next
- Alabama enters its second bye-week before preparing to host Texas A&M on Monday, Feb. 17
- Tip off between the Crimson Tide and Aggies is set for 7 p.m. CT on the SEC Network
