By outreach@cw.ua.edu (Cody Estremera)
Winning the first game of the year is always a confidence boost. Alabama did just that with a 23-point margin of victory over New Orleans.
“It was ugly at times, but ugly counts,” coach Kristy Curry said. “It was great to get those first game jitters out in this environment. We were rushing things a little bit in the beginning. I didn’t think you could fault our effort. I was just trying to get them to slow down and let the game come to them.”
After the first quarter, Alabama was able to control the flow of the game, forcing 22 turnovers and only allowing the Privateers to hit 37 percent of their shots.
Alabama struggled shooting three-pointers in both of the exhibition game and in the season opener. So far the team has only made four of the 32 threes, which cranks out to be 12.5 percent.
“I have a lot of confidence in those players shooting threes,” Curry said. “We just have to get back in the gym and work on it. At the end of the day, you tell a shooter to keep shooting and stay positive with them.”
Curry emphasizes that in each of the team’s games there needs to be at least four players in double figures. In the home opener, there were five who scored more than 10 points: Meo and Ashley Knight, Shaquera Wade, Jordan Lewis and Ashley Williams.
The team now turns its attention to Mississippi Valley State, a team that will be playing its first game of the young season.
Alabama has played the Devilettes three straight years and leads the series, 4-0, all-time. The Crimson Tide has won each game by an average of 46 points, including last year’s 98-35 win.
Mississippi Valley State returns its two leading scorers from last season, but has 10 first-year players. Along with all the new players the Devilettes have a new coach, Jessica Kern, who led Lincoln University to a 22-9 record last year.
Alabama faces the Devilettes Monday at 7 p.m.
Source:: The Crimson White Sports
