No. 18 Alabama women’s basketball claimed its 21st victory of the season on Monday night by blowing out Texas A&M 88-49 in Coleman Coliseum.
“I’m really proud of our team’s effort and energy,” head coach Kristy Curry said. “I thought everything started for us on the defensive end. We were able to get some stops and get our press set.”
The first quarter of this SEC clash featured a healthy dose of on-ball pressure from Alabama. The Crimson Tide pressed the Aggies’ ball handlers at the beginning of possessions, leading to turnovers and heavily contested shot attempts. This led to Texas A&M committing five turnovers and shooting 4/13 to open the game.
Guard Zaay Green said the press “brought a lot of energy on the defensive end” and carried that energy over to the offensive end.
A 3-pointer from Alabama guard Sarah Ashlee Barker with 5:52 on the clock sparked a wave of momentum for the Crimson Tide. Alabama scored 17 unanswered points and held Texas A&M scoreless for nearly four minutes until the Aggies scored a layup with 2:03 remaining in the first quarter.
Toward the end of the opening period, Green and guard Karly Weathers each nailed a triple to add more salt to the wound. Alabama led 27-8 heading into the second quarter.
Alabama was equally as stingy in the second as it was in the first, holding Texas A&M to another 8-point quarter. The Aggies struggled to create quality shots through the Crimson Tide’s tight defense and shot 4/16 from the field, slightly worse than in the opening quarter.
Guard Aaliyah Nye heated up from behind the arc, drilling two 3-pointers, and Barker made another triple. The Crimson Tide shot 61.5% from downtown in the first half and shot 4/4 at the foul line.
The duo of Barker and Nye finished the first half with 14 and 13 points, respectively, as Alabama entered halftime with a 46-16 lead.
“It’s not always about X’s and O’s,” Curry said. “Your will has to be stronger than your skill at this time of the year, and we’re working at it.”
To begin the second half, Alabama attacked the basket and scored 8 points in the paint. With 6:21 on the clock, Curry gradually began to rest her starting lineup as the Crimson Tide led by more than 30.
Texas A&M’s shots started to fall more frequently after these substitutions, but Green stayed in the game and scored 13 points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer as the third quarter ended. Alabama led 73-33 with one quarter to go.
Curry brought in her entire bench in the fourth quarter, and Alabama’s freshmen players Chloe Spreen, Leah Brooks and Eris Lester got to play a handful of minutes, scoring a combined 10 points. Their performance drew a big reaction from their veteran teammates on the sideline.
“They’ve done a great job in practice,” Nye said. “They work really hard, and we love to see them succeed.”
Alabama did not allow its lead to drop below 38 in the fourth quarter, and the Crimson Tide won the game by 39 points.
Curry said she loved her team’s half-court defense more than the press against Texas A&M, but that the lack of depth can limit how often Alabama can be aggressive like this.
Barker led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 18 points, Green finished with 16 points and Nye ended up with 15 points. Though Weathers scored only 5 points, she collected 10 rebounds and finished with a plus-minus of 41.
Alabama made 12 3-pointers to Texas A&M’s zero and won the turnover battle by six.
“When we can get our feet set, we can be patient and let the game come to us,” Curry said. “Good things are going to happen.”
Alabama’s next trip is to Knoxville on Thursday, where it will face No. 15 Tennessee. The game will be broadcast at 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
