Women's Basketball Rides Defense to Victory
12/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Saturday, December 10, 2005
It was a good day for both defenses, but Alabama’s offense was able to do just enough to help the Tide (4-3) earn a 54-59 victory over Southeastern Louisiana (1-4) in Coleman Coliseum this afternoon.
“It was unfortunate that we played that poorly on the offensive end as we did on our home court today,” head coach Stephany Smith said. “We knew going in to the game that they would play hard, and they did. We were fortunate to get the win.”
Both offenses were sluggish throughout the contest, as the teams combined for a frigid 35.6 percent shooting from the floor and 42 turnovers in a defensive slugfest. Only one player on each team managed to break double figures on the offensive end and the teams combined for 25 percent shooting from 3-point range. The offensive woes extended to the free throw line as well, as both teams shot under 60 percent from the charity stripe.
In the end though, Alabama’s offense, spurred by some clutch free throw shooting by junior guard Kate Mastin, had enough down the stretch to overcome the scrappy Lady Lions.
Mastin was a perfect 4-of-4 from the line, all in the last 30 seconds of the game, en route to nine points for the Tide. She also sank the Tide’s lone 3-point basket early in the second half, as Alabama went 1-of-10 from downtown on the afternoon.
Her clutch shooting was able to ice the game for the Tide after the Lady Lions cut the lead to three several times late in the game. After leading by as much as 10 early in the second half, Alabama struggled with turnovers and poor shooting from the line, allowing Southeastern to remain in the game. The Tide held the Lions to just four points in the final 3:18, however, to hold on to the victory.
Hill, the Tide’s single player in double digits in the scoring column, led the team with 10 points. Hill, Alabama’s leading scorer coming into the game, averaging 12.2 points per contest, has now led the Tide in scoring in five of the team’s first seven games.
Senior Dee Merriweather continues to dominate in the paint for Alabama. Merriweather grabbed 15 rebounds in the game, 11 in the first half, and scored eight points on the offensive end. Merriweather, who was averaging 8.7 boards per game and ranked third in the SEC in rebounding coming into the contest, tallied her third double-figure rebounding total of the season.
Merriweather also etched a career milestone in the game, as her three blocks moved her over the century mark for her career to become just the fourth player in school history to achieve the feat. She needs two blocks to tie Terri Hilliard (1980-84) for third all-time in career blocked shots.
“Dee has probably been our most consistent player this season,” Smith said. “She has a great physical presence inside, and she works very hard. That is what allows her to put up some big numbers on the offensive and defensive end of the floor.”
The efforts of Merriweather fueled another dominating performance by Alabama on the boards. The Tide came into the game averaging a +13.2 margin per game on the glass, the best margin in the SEC. Alabama grabbed 49 this afternoon, while Southeastern Louisiana managed just 24 to give the Tide a +25 edge on the boards. It marked the third time this season that Alabama had a rebounding edge of more than 20 in a game, all of which ended in Tide victories.
Alabama will be off in the upcoming week for final exams, and will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 18, when the Tide will travel to Brookings, S.D., to take on South Dakota State.
