Alabama Women’s Basketball Delivered a 39-point Margin to the Aggies on Monday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- On Monday, No.18 Alabama women's basketball got a huge win over the Texas A&M Aggies in Coleman Coliseum. Each team started off in a slump as they were tied 2-2 at 7:52 in the first quarter. The Aggies then took a brief 6-4 lead with about six minutes remaining. The Crimson Tide then took a 7-6 lead to open up their shooting and their defensive lockdown. The Crimson Tide quickly went up 13-6 after forcing four turnovers and shooting breakout from Sarah Ashlee Barker going into the first media timeout.

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Coming out of the media timeout, Aaliyah Nye knocked down her first three of the night. Nye then got the blow-by for two with under four minutes to play (18-6). Diana Collins then adds to the 17-0 run (Barker scored seven of the 17-0 run points). Aggies' Janae Kent ends the run with two points (21-8), however, Zaay Green adds to the Crimson Tide's score by knocking down a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock (one second) and about a minute and a half left in the quarter (24-8). Moments later, Karly Weathers knocks down a 3-pointer with under 10 seconds remaining, extending the score to 27-8 and the Crimson Tide's fifth 3-pointer in the first quarter.

To open the shooting in the second, Nye lets a 3-pointer flow right off of her fingertips with just under nine minutes before halftime. The Aggies attempted to get back in the swing of things with a layup that was then swatted away by Green (8:04). Moments later, Barker hits a 3-pointer as she now has 12 points and the score now 33-12. The Aggies were still fighting for more points but, it was Green with another block, and then Essence Cody added two with under seven to go (35-12). Nye then gets a block of her own, which led to a pass to Barker to add two more (37-12). The Crimson Tide got some free throws and a pair of layups to extend the lead to 46-16 heading into the locker room.

The Crimson Tide kept on rolling in the third quarter, quickly adding to their lead, now 54-20 and 7:12 remaining in the third. Each team exchanged baskets as the Crimson Tide kept pushing ahead while the Aggies tried to come back. Nye denied the Aggies from scoring, which later led to an Eris Lester trip to the free throw line after drawing the foul. She couldn't add to the lead just yet, but she redeemed herself by drawing the foul again and adding a pair of free throws with under four minutes to play (59-27).

The Aggies then added two, but their effort to come back didn't last for long as Green beats the shot clock again to kick the score up another notch (62-29). With about three minutes remaining, the Aggies added a pair of free throws. The Crimson Tide then responded by drawing a foul to get two of their own, and then Collins added to it with a 3-pointer with under a minute remaining (67-33), the Crimson Tide now 10 of 18 for 3-pointers.

It was Green again who beat the clock as she added three to beat the buzzer and end the third (73-33).

It was Cody that opened the scoring for the fourth as she drew the foul and added two free throws (75-33). With around eight minutes to play, coach Kristy Curry let her bench loose, and they immediately began to add to the score as Chloe Spreen scored off of a layup. Her big smile, along with the team's joy, added to the excitement. The Aggies tried to find a response by adding four points off of a score and a pair of free throws, but Christabel Ezumah responded with an and-one and one point from a foul to keep building the score (80-39).

With about five minuets to play, the Aggies saw another turnover, and Lester turned it into points for the Crimson Tide (82-41). Leah Brooks and Spreen contributed four more points for the Crimson Tide (86-42). The Aggies managed to add  four more points to their score, and with about a minute left, Brooks got the turnaround to add a final two for the Crimson Tide. After the Aggies hit a 3-pointer the Crimson Tide dribbled it out for a final score of 88-49, marking their largest margin (39-points) of victory in Southeastern Conference play since 1999.

GAME NOTES: 

• Alabama held Texas A&M to 49 points and without a made three pointer on the night (0-of-13)
• It is the second game in conference play that the Crimson Tide has held an opponent under 50 points.
•  Barker scored 18 points for the third consecutive game
•  Weathers recorded double-digit rebounds for the second time this season
• All 11 players that saw action for Alabama scored in the contest
• Four Crimson Tide starters (Barker, Cody, Green and Nye) scored in double figures for the second consecutive game
• Alabama scored 36 points off of 15 Texas A&M turnovers
• Alabama shot 55% from the floor (33-of-60), 57% from deep (12-of-21) and 76% from the line (10-of-13)
• In comparison, Texas A&M shot 34% from the field (19-of-55), 0% from three-point range (0-of-13) and 73% from the charity stripe (11-of-15)