Women's Basketball to Face Sam Houston State Sunday
12/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -
Alabama Women's Basketball vs. Sam Houston State
Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. (CST)
Coleman Coliseum
Admission: $5 for adults and $3 for youth; Free with men's basketball ticket; Alabama students free with Action Card
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
TV: WVUA (Tape Delayed)
The women's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways against Sam Houston State on Sunday in Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff is set for approximately 2:30 p.m., or 30 minutes after the men's contest against Louisiana-Lafayette. This will be the first meeting between the Crimson Tide and Bearkats in program history. Alabama enters the game at 5-2 on the season, while Sam Houston State currently sits at 1-6.
"The team has worked really hard in practice this week," said head coach Wendell Hudson. "They are really making some great strides in the right direction. I am so proud of them and how they come out here every day and continue to get better. We look forward to getting out there in our next game on Sunday."
Scouting Sam Houston State:
Sam Houston State has a fairly balanced offense with five players averaging between 7.5 and 9.8 points per game. Leading the way is junior guard Brittany Brooks. Junior forward Whitney Smith tops the Bearkats on the boards with an average of 6.5 rebounds per contest. Last time out, Sam Houston State fell to No. 14 Auburn 119-54. The Tigers' 119 points were the most ever scored in program history. Auburn never trailed, jumping out to a 16-2 lead in the first three minutes and building a 62-18 margin at halftime. Mary Beth Renz led Sam Houston State with 12 points. Whitney Smith added 10. Sam Houston was limited to 30 percent shooting from the floor, hitting 19-of-63 field goals.
Alabama and the Southland Conference:
Although the Tide has never played the Bearkats, Alabama has had a total of 22 meetings with Southland institutions in the past. The last meeting came just months ago in Tuscaloosa when Alabama beat Southeastern Louisiana 61-51 on Jan. 5, 2008.
Who to Watch:
After seeing little action at the Nugget Classic, senior Camilla Blands stepped it up in the Tide's win over UCF. Blands was 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points. Also, keep an eye on freshman Ericka Russell. Russell continues to improve and show confidence on the court each time out. It all began for the Tuscaloosa native at Hampton when she knocked down four three-pointers and finished the game with 14 points. In Alabama's contest with No. 7/8 Louisville, Russell was the Tide's leading point producer with 16. Twelve of her points came from beyond the arc. In Alabama's most recent win over UCF, she was the game's leading scorer with 14 points including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Russell, who stands at just 5-7, also collected three blocks.
Last Time Out:
Alabama defeated Central Florida 67- 53 Wednesday night at Coleman Coliseum. Freshman Ericka Russell led all scorers with 14 points with 12 of her 14 coming in the second half. Junior Courtney Strauthers contributed a career-high 13 points for the Tide as well as five rebounds. Senior Camilla Blands also racked up 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers and dished out three assists. Sophomore Daleisha Carn led all players with 13 boards setting a new career high.
Alabama Nearing 600th win:
Alabama is just six wins away from its 600th victory in program history. The Tide's overall record currently stands at 594-414. Alabama hit the 500-win mark on Jan. 28, 2001 with a 67-64 win over Ole Miss.
Lucky Number 13:
Junior Courtney Strauthers collected a career-high 13 points in Alabama's win over UCF on Dec. 3. That same night, sophomore Daleisha Carn pulled down a career-best 13 rebounds.
Equal Opportunity Scorers:
In Alabama's seven games, four different players have led the Tide in scoring. Sophomores Alyson Butler and Tierney Jenkins and freshman Ericka Russell have topped Alabama twice each, and sophomore Katie Hancock had led in point production once.
Strauthers Hitting Better than .500 for Career:
Junior Courtney Strauthers is currently averaging 53.6 percent from the floor for her career. She finished her freshman season at 51.3 percent followed by her sophomore year at 56.8 percent. She is 20-40 on the season thus far for an even 50.0 clip.
Ericka Russell Voted to the Nugget Classic All-Tournament Team:
Alabama freshman Ericka Russell was one of six players named to the Nugget Classic All-Tournament Team. The squad was voted on by the four participating coaches. She finished the two-game Classic with 24 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Put me in Coach, I'm Ready to Play:
In Alabama's opening three contests, a total of 14 players have seen court time. Ten of those 14 players are averaging 10 minutes or more. Sophomore Katie Hancock leads the way with 23.6 minutes per outing.
`Bama on the Boards:
The Tide has been dominant on the boards out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 6.0 per game while collecting a total of 47.7 per contest. In Alabama's contest with Samford, the Tide held the Bulldogs to zero offensive rebounds over the first 28:04.
I'll Take my Bench over your Bench:
Alabama's bench scoring has accounted for an average of 36.6 points per game this season and 256 points overall. That is over half of the Tide's total point output thus far. Below is a list of how many points the bench has produced in each game:
Nov. 14, 2008 vs. Centenary - 28 points
Nov. 18, 2008 vs. Samford - 24 points
Nov. 22, 2008 at Hampton - 35 points
Nov. 25, 2008 vs. Alabama State - 52 points
Nov. 28, 2008 vs. Louisville - 43 points
Nov. 29, 2008 vs. Northern Iowa - 38 points
Dec. 3, 2008 vs. UCF - 36 points
Tide Making a Habit of Scoring First:
Alabama has put up the first points in six of its seven contests this season.
60 is the Magic Number:
In both of Alabama's losses, the Tide has failed to reach the 60-point mark, but in all five of its wins has eclipsed that mark.
Alabama in Season Openers:
With a win against Centenary on Nov. 14, 2008, the Crimson Tide is now 28-7 in season openers including a record of 13-2 in home openers.
Tide Welcomes Six Newcomers:
A total of six new players will dawn the crimson and white this season for the women's basketball team. Carmen McCoy, Kayla Robinson, Ericka Russell and Candace Sykes all signed on nearly one year ago, while Danielle Hicks and Candiss Willingham were recently added as walk-ons.
Fresh Faces on the Sidelines:
Wendell Hudson returns to the sidelines after spending the last six years in administration to head up the Alabama women's basketball team. Hudson, who possesses 26 years of basketball coaching experience, is no stranger to Alabama as he was the first African-American scholarship athlete at the Capstone while playing under C.M. Newton. Joining him will be former Tide standouts Joni Crenshaw and Stacey Franklin along with Ty Evans, who enters his second season as a member of the Alabama staff.
Next up:
The Tide has nearly a one-week break from games for finals before traveling to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on Middle Tennessee State on Sunday, Dec. 14. Game time is slated for 4:00 p.m. (CST). Alabama leads the all-time series 7-1. The last time to two teams met was Nov. 22, 2004 in Tuscaloosa where the Tide won 80-66.
