Women’s basketball has taken another team by storm, leaving the Crimson Tide with its first SEC win in a touch-and-go 79-64 game Sunday against Missouri.
After a tough loss to Ole Miss on Thursday, head coach Kristy Curry said she was thrilled to see the team bounce back and show continued improvement.
“We had a tough opener and our response was phenomenal,” Curry said. “We were consistent. I thought we got off to really good starts in the first and the third and am really proud today of the way we shot the ball and the decision-making on both sides of the ball.”
The game started in favor of Alabama, which went 10-2 less than four minutes into the game, with two layups and a 3-pointer each from guards Sarah Ashlee Barker and Loyal McQueen.
But the tide quickly turned as the Tigers gained momentum; the significant lead Alabama had boasted at the beginning of the game dwindled, and by the end of the first half, the game was tied at 41-41.
As the team went into the second half, the Crimson Tide seemed to have learned the key to scoring against Missouri and held a 15-point lead over the Tigers at its height. At the start of the third quarter, a 3-pointer by Barker and two free throws by guard Jessica Timmons cemented the Crimson Tide firmly into the lead, where it would stay for the rest of the game.
“I think our kids just started to understand with the flow of the game exactly what we had been trying to teach and discuss,” Curry said. “So credit to our kids for coming back out. It was toughness. I think it was a game of both teams are so incredibly tough, and we were just proud we were able to get a few more stops down the stretch.”
Guard Aaliyah Nye owned the court, sinking seven of the team’s 15 3-pointers. Despite not scoring a single point last game, Nye made a comeback and beat out her own 12.8 points per game average, as well as her 43.1% 3-pointer percentage, going 7-14 this game.
“I think my coaches and teammates have a lot of their confidence in me, and they know I struggled in that game, and they just kept giving confidence to me,” Nye said. “Stay up, keep shooting. And I think my teammates, they really found me the ball.”
Alongside Nye, Barker showcased versatility, delivering 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Timmons also made a significant dent in Missouri’s defense with 15 points and six rebounds.
The team will travel to Athens, Georgia, to take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT. Fans can tune in on SEC Network+.
