The Alabama women’s basketball team continued its losing streak after falling to Auburn 70-53 Sunday. After winning against the Tigers previously in the season, Alabama couldn’t get enough momentum during either half to come back and claim another victory. This is the sixth consecutive conference loss for the Tide.
Alabama, 12-13 (2-10 SEC), started the game off slow and unfocused, never leading on the scoreboard once during the first half. Unlike previously, Auburn came out hungry for revenge in its home court. Auburn led the entire game from tip off to the ending buzzer.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well,” coach Wendell Hudson said. “They shot the ball well. We had great looks, especially starting the basketball game. We had many good looks. We have to give Auburn credit, they played a really good game. There were too many times when we were sitting on the bench and said, ‘That was a good shot.’ You have to make the shots.”
At the end of the first half, Auburn had a 23-point advantage over the Tide. The lead took its toll on Alabama, and the second half went poorly as the first.
“What [Auburn] did was they made the shots,” Hudson said. “I thought we had a pretty good defense. There are some things you have no control over but it’s shooting the basketball that’s the difference.”
No player managed to score double digits in the first half. In the second half, Daisha Simmons and Meghan Perkins scored 19 and 12 points, respectively. Shafontaye Meyers wasn’t able to score until the second half and finished the game with five.
“When you have a poor shooting night, you have to get all the things right defensively,” Hudson said. “I think we had a few breakdowns especially early in the game that gave Auburn some scoring opportunities that we couldn’t afford to give up.”
In the first half, the Tide had a hard time finding the basket. Auburn had a superb defensive strategy, which helped them excel. In the second half, Alabama tried to come back but still couldn’t make the shots it needed to. Auburn’s defense also continued to wear the Tide down.
Freshman Nikki Hegstetter didn’t start, but saw an increased amount of playing time. Hegstetter said the team wasn’t playing together.
“[I didn’t see] teamwork,” Hegstetter said. “Last game we played together and this game it was everyone for themselves. We also shot a lot better last time. I think when we go down, we kind of have a hard time getting back up but when we get back up we can keep it going.”
Alabama will face Mississippi State Thursday.
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