No. 19 Alabama had a solid bounceback showing in Fayetteville on Sunday, beating Arkansas 94-62 to move its record to 17-3 on the season and 4-2 in SEC play.
The win also improved the Crimson Tide’s record to 3-0 after a loss, showing a strong recovery after the loss to South Carolina on Thursday.
“The way this team continues to step up and dig through adversity, I could not be more proud.” head coach Kristy Curry said.
Guard Zaay Green came out of the gates hot, scoring the first 5 points for Alabama off a pair of jumpers, the second of which aided a 7-0 run to help the Crimson Tide to an early 10-5 lead.
The two teams went back and forth for the rest of the first quarter until Green sank a 3-pointer at the end-of-period buzzer to give her 10 points for the quarter.
The second quarter saw guard Karly Weathers and center JeAnna Cunningham take over the game, as the duo scored the first 14 points of the period for the Crimson Tide and were the driving force behind a 16-3 run. Cunningham and Weathers combined for 18 of the 22 points in the quarter for Alabama, giving the team a 46-34 lead at halftime.
Weathers continued her success right out of the half, headlining a 14-2 Alabama run to begin the third quarter. She capped off the run with her fifth 3-point make in five attempts.
Near the end of the period, Essence Cody began to make an impact on the game. She helped anchor an 11-3 run with 9 points during the stretch, and all 13 of her points for the game came in the third quarter. Green was instrumental in both Cody’s and Weathers’ success in the period, as she had six assists.
The game was out of reach for Arkansas with a 77-48 score by the time the fourth quarter started, which gave freshmen guards Eris Lester and Chloe Spreen extended playing time. The two took advantage, combining to score 11 points in the period.
Alabama’s defense, including guard Diana Collins, did an impressive job of guarding Razorbacks guard Izzy Higginbottom, who was averaging 24.5 points per game heading into the matchup but could muster up only 5 points on 2/11 shooting against the Crimson Tide.
“Diana was and has been relentless all season,” Weathers said. “Her relentless pressure defensively really wears on an opponent.”
Green did it all in the game, securing team-high totals in points with 21, rebounds with nine and assists with seven, all without a single turnover. Weathers had a season-high 19 points on 5/6 shooting from three-point range and dished out six assists.
Alabama’s frontcourt was effective as well, as Cody finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while Cunningham had 10 points off the bench with six rebounds.
“We’re a very close-knit team,” Weathers said. “When one person gets going, it’s kind of like a ripple effect for our entire team.”
Alabama will return back to Coleman Coliseum on Sunday for a matchup against Vanderbilt, which will start at 1 p.m. CT and can be watched on SEC Network.