On the ensuing possession, JSU’s Destany McLin played spoiler and made a shot from the free-throw line to give JSU the go-ahead basket 64-62 with 3.1 seconds, which ended up being the deciding basket.
“You credit those guys,” coach Kristy Curry said. “I thought they had some older kids that made some really big shots. My hat’s off to those kids and Rick. They did a great job tonight.”
JSU was leading in scoring by three players in double figures, including senior transfer from Auburn Courtney Strain, who had 14 points. It was McLin, though, that came up big with the deciding basket. She scored 14 points as well.
For Alabama, there was less balance. Sophomore Ashley Williams’ 26 points and Cook’s 18 combined for 44 of Alabama’s 62 total points. No other player scored more than four points.
“We just got to have more than Hannah and Ashley step up,” Curry said. “I’ve been disappointed in our older kids finding ways to score. From Nikki [Hegstetter] to [Briana Hutchen] we have to have more help.”
The Crimson Tide fell to a deficit at the beginning of the half and was trailing by double-digits, losing 32-22 going into the locker room. Missed free throws plagued the team especially in the first half, where Alabama was 3-12 from the line.
“Really we just have to come up, step up to the line and knock them down,” Williamson said. “There’s a multiple of us that missed free throws. So that just shows we need to just get in the gym and shoot more free throws.”
The bright spots for Alabama in the second half were spectacular performances by Cook and Williams again. Cook had an excellent second half, scoring all 18 of her points and going 4-5 from deep. For Williams, it was her season high at 26 points, and JSU did not have much of an answer.
“I knew coming into the game we wouldn’t have an answer for Ashley Williams and we didn’t have an answer for Ashley Williams. She’s a special player,” JSU coach Rick Pietri said.
Next up, Alabama is traveling to Kansas for the Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge, and will play Kansas Friday.
