Tide Women's Basketball Defeats Yale, 78-60
12/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Senior Monique Bivins scored a season high 19 points and junior Krystle Johnson added a Tide career best 14 off the bench to lead the University of Alabama women's basketball team to a 78-60 victory over Yale in the consolation game of the Christmas City Classic on Thursday.
The win moved the Crimson Tide to 8-3 on the year and marked the third time this season that Bama has followed a disappointing loss with an impressive victory. Yale slipped to 1-8 on the season with the loss.
Johnson, a junior who sat out last season after transferring from UCLA, had only scored 10 points in the Tide's first 10 games before blistering the Bulldogs for 14 on Thursday night. The Hoover, Ala., native connected on a career best 6-of-10 shots from the floor and also made 2-of-3 free throw tries.
"Nobody likes to play in the tournament consolation game," said UA head coach Rick Moody. "I was concerned how our players would respond after our disappointing performance against Delaware on Wednesday. I was proud of how we bounced back and were able to make some shots and also establish a post presence on both ends of the floor against a solid group of Yale post players. Hopefully, this will be a game we can build on as we head into Southeastern Conference play next weekend."
The first half saw both teams take a turn in the lead as the two offenses both made some big shots. Alabama made the first surge grabbing an eight point advantage, 24-16, with a little over seven minutes left in the half. Yale refused to quit and battled back to knot the score at 28 with 2:08 remaining. The Tide responded with a late flurry scoring the final seven points of the half for a 35-28 lead at the break.
Alabama kept things rolling to start the second period earning a double-digit advantage after outscoring the Bulldogs 9-2 in the first four minutes. Yale could get no closer than nine points the rest of the way as Bama cruised to the comfortable 18-point victory down the stretch.
All 10 Tide players that saw action scored in the game with Lauren Hill finishing with 11 points joining Johnson and Bivins in double digits. Alabama won the rebounding battle, 44-33, and also forced 25 turnovers that led to 34 points in the game. After committing a season high total of miscues last night, UA posted a season low 10 turnovers against the Bulldogs.
Bama's Lauren Hill was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Yale's Tory Mauseth was the lone bright spot for the Bulldogs scoring a game high 22 points including six three-pointers.
The Crimson Tide now returns home to open 2005 with a three-game home stand beginning on Jan. 3 against Florida International. Alabama faces South Dakota State on Jan. 5 before starting Southeastern Conference play on Jan. 9 versus Kentucky.
