Alabama
Georgetown
Alabama Women's Basketball Shuts Down Georgetown, 78-66
12/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Alabama women's basketball team (8-1) remains unbeaten at home after defeating Georgetown (6-3) on Saturday, 78-66, at Foster Auditorium. The Crimson Tide made a season-high nine three-pointers and used a 19-0 run in the third quarter to secure the victory. Alabama held the Hoyas scoreless over the final seven minutes of the third to take a 60-39 lead.
"I thought our crowd was really good today," said Alabama head coach Kristy Curry. "I appreciate everybody coming out midday, on Saturday, in [the middle of] Christmas shopping and so many different activities to support us. I thought they were huge down the stretch. They really got into the game. I appreciate everyone coming out."
It was a sluggish opening period for both teams, as the first points of the game came more than two minutes in thanks to a jumper by sophomore Karyla Middlebrook. Georgetown would score the next four points of the frame and eventually took its largest lead of the game at 10-6 when sophomore Dorothy Adomako converted a basket. Sophomore Meoshonti Knight recorded a steal and took it all the way for a layup in the final seconds, but the Hoyas still held a 14-13 advantage after 10 minutes.
The Tide took the lead for good early in the second quarter thanks to a trey from sophomore Hannah Cook. She drained another shot from deep to give Alabama a six-point lead (25-19), and Georgetown would get no closer than two points from there. The Tide went into the locker room leading the Hoyas 35-29 after Middlebrook made two free throws with five seconds to play in the half.
Alabama took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Georgetown 25-10 on the strength of a dominating 19-0 run. The Tide extended its lead to eight on a Cook three, but a quick six-point run by the Hoyas trimmed the advantage to two at 41-39. That would be the final points of the quarter for the visitors, as a made shot from behind the arc by Middlebrook kicked off the decisive run. Six different Tide players scored points during the stretch as Georgetown closed out the half 0-for-10 from the floor while committing five turnovers.
The Hoyas did not go quietly in the final period, outscoring Alabama, 27-18. Georgetown pulled within 10 points at the 3:51 mark, but that was as close as the score would get.
Cook led the Tide with a season-high 22 points and her six three-point baskets were a career best. Sophomore Quanetria Bolton finished with a team-best and career-high 12 rebounds and added 13 points for her third double-double of the season.
"It was a great game against a great Big East team that's beaten a Virginia Tech [team] that upset Tennessee," added Curry. "It was just a quality game for us today to see how we were going to respond. I loved our response to it. As the game went, we got better. I thought we got more physical. I thought we rebounded the ball better. Defensively, we were active, and that was good to see. As the game goes, we have to continue to go with it and improve with each possession. I thought there were critical possessions that we were able to get some stops and make plays offensively."
For the game, Alabama shot 25-of-62 (40.3 percent) from the field, including 9-for-19 (47.4 percent) from behind the arc, while Georgetown shot 27-of-70 (38.6 percent) and only 3-for-15 (20 percent) from three. The Tide outrebounded the Hoyas, 48-36. Alabama's aggressiveness also on the offensive end also paid off throughout the game, as the Tide got to the foul line 24 times, converting 19 of those attempts (79.2 percent).
Alabama will play North Florida on Monday, Dec. 14, in Coleman Coliseum for the Tide's annual 5th Grade Fastbreak contest. The game will air on SEC Network +, and tipoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CT.
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaWBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
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