Alabama women’s basketball defeated Troy 94-71 on Sunday, giving head coach Kristy Curry her 200th program victory. This victory adds to her career total of 509 wins.
“I’m just so thankful for every player that suited up for me, every staff member that’s been here. I’m glad we got the win today against a really good Troy team,” Curry said.
The Crimson Tide improved to 3-0 and landed at No. 22 in the latest AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll.
Alabama wasted no time jumping out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, going on a 16-4 run in the first six minutes.
The Trojans battled back to cut the Crimson Tide’s lead down to 8 points. Alabama finished the opening quarter leading 25-17.
The Crimson Tide responded to the Trojan resurgence by replicating its 25-point scoring performance in the first quarter.
Graduate student Zaay Green hit her stride in the second half. Green scored 14 points in the second half, and she finished the game as the Crimson Tide’s leading scorer with 24 total points.
Guard Aaliyah Nye continued her 3-point success. She was responsible for half of Alabama’s shots from downtown, hitting five 3-pointers.
“Coming into tonight, we knew that the scouting report said they would close out short. I think we got a lot of attempts with our 3-point shot. We did shoot a lot of 3s, but I think that was what we had scouted,” Nye said.
Junior Karly Weathers found a rhythm against the Trojans, scoring 7 points each half. Curry said that Weathers is doing much better, taking what the defense gives her and letting the game come to her.
Alabama was active on the defensive end of the floor, collecting nine steals. In total, the Crimson Tide forced 19 turnovers and scored 29 points off of them.
Curry noted that Alabama lacked rebounding. Troy outrebounded Alabama 51-48, but Curry said winning the turnover battle made up for allowing 17 offensive rebounds.
Guard Sarah Ashlee Barker played only 22 minutes, which Curry attributed to soreness.
Even with a short outing, Barker left a sizable imprint on the game’s outcome. She scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and stole the ball four times.
Even with Barker on the sideline in the second half, Alabama continued to score points thanks to the performances of other starters, all of whom reached double digits.
“When Sarah Ashlee is not out there on the floor, it affects us. Tonight, I thought we responded better than we have sometimes in practice or whenever she has been in foul trouble,” Curry said.
The Crimson Tide’s schedule will be more difficult in the coming weeks.
Alabama will play back-to-back home games, starting with Norfolk State on Wednesday and ending with Alcorn State on Thursday. Both games will be played at 6 p.m. CT.
