The Alabama women’s basketball team will host North Carolina State tonight at 6 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum.
Tonight’s game will be the 2-0 Crimson Tide’s toughest and most proven opponent so far this season. Though NC State is a proven team, Alabama head coach Wendell Hudson said the Tide will stay focused on itself.
“We’re preparing the way we are with every game,” he said. “We’re more concerned with what we’re doing. We’re working Alabama and what we need to do.”
Both the Tide and the Wolfpack are undefeated so far this season. NC State heads to Tuscaloosa after winning the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational. In the Tide’s last game, the team came from behind to defeat Central Arkansas 87-76. Even so, the team still has things to improve on.
“Rebounding is one area that we need to improve on,” Hudson said. “We also need to work on sustaining our defensive pressure for long stretches.”
Senior forward Tierney Jenkins said, “We need to improve our defensive intensity. We watched film and saw lots of lapses in our defense [in the Central Arkansas game].”
Jenkins said she needed to improve on her own rebounding and free throw shooting.
The game will feature two players who earned player of the week for each of their respective conferences the first week of the season. Jenkins received the award for the Southeastern Conference, while Amber White represents the Atlantic Coastal Conference.
Jenkins is the first Alabama player to win the award since 2002. She is now averaging 19.5 points, 13 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while leading the Tide to its best start in six years.
White earned most valuable player accolades in the Wolfpack’s tournament that also featured College of Charleston and Creighton. She is averaging 17.5 points 4.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game so far this season.
Senior Latoya King will be matching up with redshirt senior White at the point guard position. Jenkins may be matched up with junior forward Bonae Holston in the post. However, the Wolfpack will be without senior forward Tia Bell, who had knee surgery on Monday.
On the offensive end, Hudson feels the team needs to get more assists and make the extra pass more often. On both ends of the court, the Tide will have to negate the length and athleticism of NC State’s players.
“We are going to do whatever we have to do to win,” Jenkins said. “It’s always about defense first. The main thing is getting stops on defense. They’re long and athletic, and we’re going to have to be solid with blocking to win the game.”
The Tide has played NC State three times and leads the series 2-1. The last time the two teams met was in 1997.
“Our goal is to play like we have been practicing on a constant basis,” Hudson said. “We believe the wins and losses will take care of themselves. The main goal is to keep up the defensive pressure and rebounding.”
