No. 20 Alabama women’s basketball upset No. 7 LSU 88-85 in overtime on Thursday.
Head coach Kristy Curry said she was “just really proud of our team tonight, because they’ve worked so hard to put themselves in a good position down the stretch.”
Alabama was not fazed by the pressure of hosting one of the nation’s best teams. Guard Sarah Ashlee Barker set the tone on the first possession when she came up with a steal after fighting for it with a dive on the floor.
Alabama turned the steal into points as forward Essence Cody scored a layup. On the next Alabama possession, guard Aaliyah Nye drew a foul while attempting a 3-pointer, and she made all three free throws.
LSU tied the game shortly after, but Alabama responded with a 9-0 run.
Cody and Nye scored a combined 13 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, and Alabama led 23-16 heading into the second quarter.
The team exuded confidence after winning the opening quarter, and the aroma of a potential upset filled the air in Coleman Coliseum.
Cody returned to work in the paint after scoring 6 points in the opening period. She battled through contact and double teams to score three layups in the second frame.
It appeared that Barker would be Alabama’s sole leading scorer in the second quarter with 9 points, but Cody nailed a triple from the top of the key to beat the buzzer and tie Barker’s total.
Cody finished the first half with 15 points, and the Crimson Tide led 46-35 heading into halftime.
In the second half, 20 personal fouls were called, and the referees often paused the game to review plays.
“That was a poorly officiated game,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said after the game, adding that there were too many unnecessary stoppages.
LSU outscored Alabama 19-14 in the third quarter. The Crimson Tide led by 6 heading into the fourth quarter.
Despite being in foul trouble, Nye was unstoppable in the final quarter, scoring 9 points on 100% shooting from the field. The Tigers did not have an answer for her offensive attack, but they lucked out toward the end of the quarter.
With 3:26 on the clock, Nye picked up her fifth personal foul, sidelining her for the rest of the game.
After an Alabama turnover, LSU scored a layup to take its first lead of the game with two minutes to go, but the Crimson Tide did not panic.
“We were tough in moments when we could have held our head low,” Barker said.
Cody collected her fourth block a few possessions later, leading to a quick 2 from Alabama guard Zaay Green to take the lead. Shortly after, the Tigers responded to the Crimson Tide’s basket with a midrange jumper to tie the game.
The final shot belonged to Alabama. With a single tick left, Green heaved a jumper from behind the arc but failed to convert, forcing overtime.
With 31 seconds left in overtime, the officials assessed Barker her fifth foul after she inadvertently elbowed an LSU player. Alabama was now without the dynamic duo of Barker and Nye for the final seconds of the overtime thriller.
Two of Alabama’s guards were out, but one was in the game. Green took charge of the situation and drew a foul with three seconds left. She made both free throws to put Alabama ahead by 3. LSU took the game’s final shot, but it was off the mark, giving the Crimson Tide the win..
Nye finished the game with 28 points, and Barker scored 21.
Curry said that if that was Nye and Barker’s final game in Coleman Coliseum, they deserved to win it “because of the blood, sweat and tears they put into the program.”
