By: Robert Sellers
No. 22 Alabama went on the road and defeated the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 75-52.
When in doubt on Sunday afternoon the Tide turned to star guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who was Alabama’s leading scorer against the Warhawks with 25 points. Barker was an impressive 10-14 from the field and scored most of her points in the paint, either off the dribble, or following an offensive rebound. Barker also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 3 assists to add to one of her most impressive performances of her career.
It was a tale of two halves in Monroe on Sunday Afternoon, as the Tide led 44-22 after the first half. The Tide shot 51.4% from the field in the first half, and were elevated by 19 of Barker’s 25 points. Monroe fought back to the best of their ability in the second half, outscoring the Tide 30-29, and eventually holding Alabama to 75 points, their second lowest point total of the season.
Heading into their clash with the Warhawks, the No. 22 ranked Crimson Tide were shooting an impressive 37.7% from three point land. However, UL Monroe was able to hold Alabama’s high flying three point shooting to a disappointing 15.4%. Aaliyah Nye, who is the main sharpshooter for the Crimson Tide, was 1 for 8 from beyond the arc, and only mustered a measly 3 points. Nye came into the game averaging 17.4 points, and should get back to her automatic ways in the near future.
Where the Tide’s offense struggled, its defense emphatically rose to the occasion. Alabama held Louisiana Monroe to 52 points on 31% shooting from the field. 52 points is the least amount of points the Tide has allowed all season, and it marks the fifth time in their first six games that Alabama has held their opponent to under 60 points.
The game was extremely back and forth in the first quarter, as the Warhawks and the Tide were trading bucket for bucket throughout the first ten minutes. But the Tide were able to pull away in a dominant second quarter, dismantling the Warhawks attack in a suffocating 23-4 effort. The Tide dominated the boards, forced turnovers, and held Louisiana Monroe to just two field goals. The second quarter gave the Tide a 22 point lead, which they fought to hold on to the rest of the game.
This was an important game for Head Coach Kristy Curry, as she returned to her home state of Louisiana. Curry stressed sound execution of the little things, especially free throw shooting going into the matchup with the Warhawks. Alabama continued their struggles from the charity stripe on Sunday afternoon, shooting only 59% from the line, but were able to execute on defense, helping Curry grab a win in her home state.
Up Next
The Tide get a much needed break after playing four games the last seven days, as their next matchup will be back in Coleman Coliseum on Monday, November 25th against the Alabama State Lady Hornets.
