TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama women’s basketball (8-0) welcomes the 5/4 South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1) in Tuscaloosa on Monday for the first home game of the Southeast Crimson Tide Conference of the season. The game is scheduled to start at 6 pm CT.
FOLLOW ALONG
Monday’s game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network (WTBC-AM 1230 in Tuscaloosa) with Gray Robertson on the conference call.
OPENING TIP
- With a victory last Thursday in Missouri, Alabama won its first eight games of the season for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when it won nine consecutive competitions.
- Crimson Tide ended its schedule outside the conference 7-0. Although it is an abbreviated pre-SEC list, this is Alabama’s first season in an undefeated conference game.
- Monday’s meeting between Crimson Tide and Gamecocks marks the 42nd in the series that started in 1979.
- Alabama won 11 consecutive matches in the 1990s and early 2000s, before South Carolina followed in its own streak, winning the last 16 consecutive matches and 23 of the last 26.
- The last three fights were the closest during that period.
Last Five Meetings
|
January 5, 2020 |
I |
78-93 |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
|
January 6, 2019 |
I |
59-62 |
Columbia, SC |
|
February 8, 2018 |
I |
66-79 |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
|
January 1, 2017 |
I |
45-93 |
Columbia, SC |
|
February 22, 2016 |
I |
66-46 |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
- Gamecocks enter Monday’s game with an overall 6-1 and 1-0 record in the SEC game.
- The only defeat in the South Carolina season was at home for the then null. 8/6 NC State, 54-46.
- Gamecocks opened the game at the SEC with a 75-59 victory over Florida last Thursday.
- This will be the second real road game of the season for South Carolina, with the first being played in the state of Iowa at the SEC / Big 12 Challenge, which the Gamecocks won 83-65.
- South Carolina is led offensively by Preseason All-SEC team Zia Cooke, who averages 18.9 points per game, while All-American preseason Aliyah Boston has a double-double average of 13.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
- As a team, Gamecocks average 83.7 points per game, 26.6 points more than their opponents, while kicking 44.9% off the ground.
- South Carolina is under the direction of Dawn Staley, who is 13º season with Gamecocks and 21st in general, as head coach. Staley took South Carolina to the 2017 NCAA National Championship, five SEC regular season championships and five conference tournament titles.
LAST TIME OUT
- Jordan Lewis and Ariyah Copeland combined by 52 points to lead Alabama offensively overtaking Missouri at the opening of the Southeastern Conference, 74-59, at Mizzou Arena.
- Lewis finished with 27 points, the best of his career, while Copeland added 25, a shy one of the best of his career.
- Joining Lewis and Copeland in double digits was Jasmine Walker, which added 14 points. Copeland and Walker also added eight boards each, however, the game’s main rebound was Megan Abrams, with a nine career record.
- Hannah Barber distributed the best six assists in the game, while Abrams also added a trio of steals to his line of statistics to lead that category.
- The scoreboard remained closed for the first five minutes of the game, however, Missouri would finish the fourth with a 9-4 run to maintain the advantage after the first.
- Much of the second went back and forth, tying the score at 34-34 at halftime.
- Alabama made its run in the middle of the third period, using a 12-0 run in three minutes to take the lead from 56-45.
- The Tigers distanced themselves and pulled a four at the start of the last quarter, but another big run for Tide quickly pushed the lead back into double digits.
- Alabama had three different players with several games of more than 20 points this season in Walker (6), Copeland (3) and Lewis (2). Barber also added a game with more than 20 points to the mix.
- Tide had another solid exit from the free-throw line, connecting in 16 of 18 attempts. Lewis led the way with his 9 to 9 performance.
- The AU has more than doubled free throws this season compared to its opponents (183-91).
- Alabama continued its streak of 74 or more games this season. The last time Tide opened with eight consecutive games was during the 1993-94 campaign, when it was nine games with more than 74 points scored.
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