In one of its most crowded atmospheres of the season, Alabama women’s basketball defeated Arkansas 77-48 on Sunday afternoon.
Alabama was seeking vengeance for its 26-point loss to No. 3 South Carolina on Thursday, and it looked to do so against an 11-5 Razorbacks team coming off a similarly one-sided 88-71 defeat at the hands of No. 12 Vanderbilt.
Sunday was also Alumni Day, with former Crimson Tide women’s basketball players and coaches honored at halftime. Head coach Kristy Curry called it the “best crowd of the season.”
Both teams got out to a quick start, hitting two 3s each before the mid-quarter break and going into the timeout with the score 10-7 in favor of the Crimson Tide. That was the closest the game would be in the first half, as Alabama ended the opening period with a 15-4 run that included three from deep. Guard Waiata Jennings, who only plays 7.4 minutes per game and averages 2 points, hit two of the three 3s in that run.
“She brings phenomenal energy in practice and especially on defense,” teammate Ta’Mia Scott said. “We know it’s going to translate to games, and she definitely gives us a spark off the bench.”
The second quarter was another explosive one for the Crimson Tide, although via different means — it only made two 3s, but it grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and went 5/11 overall inside the arc. Forward Essence Cody, who is routinely the team’s most dominant presence in the post, scored 8 points after putting up none in the first.
“She’s a great five and one of the best bigs in the conference,” Arkansas head coach Kelsi Musick said.
Bolstered by second-chance points and a strong defensive outing, the Crimson Tide rode a wave of momentum into halftime and expanded its lead to 20 at 44-24.
Coming out of the break, Alabama kept on a roll. Three players scored at least 5 points with Cody logging 7, bringing her total to 15, and the team hit four 3-pointers. Perhaps even more encouragingly given recent rebounding struggles, Alabama continued to clean the glass, grabbing 10 defensive rebounds and three more offensive.
That trend was one of the more notable throughout the course of the game. The Crimson Tide won the rebounding battle 48-37 overall, grabbing 16 offensive boards while holding the Razorbacks to 9. It’s the team’s first time holding an opponent to single digits in that category since Sam Houston on Dec. 16.
With the score at 67-36 heading into the fourth, the game was more of the same the rest of the way. Alabama held Arkansas to only 12 in the quarter, forcing the Razorbacks to its lowest point total of the season. While the offense is the most eye-catching part of this team, the Crimson Tide is quietly one of the most efficient defenses in the country, ranking near the top in opponent scoring averages. Sunday was no different.
“This team has worked really hard to understand the principles we need to play with,” Curry said about the team’s defense. “That gives you a chance, when you can defend, you can rebound and you make them keep the ball out of the paint.”
The game finished with a score of 77-48, a sizable turnaround after a loss of similar magnitude against the Gamecocks. Aside from the margin of victory and the rebounding, another stat that stands out is the 3-point battle, which Alabama won 13-5 while tying its season high from against Tulane. Scott led the way with 16 points, while Cody was second with 15 along with three steals.
The Crimson Tide will look to continue building momentum in conference play against Kentucky on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
