TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: The women’s basketball team from Alabama most certainly has a reservation for the NCAA Tournament.
Alabama is ranked No. 10 by NCAA.com’s Autumn Johnson, while ESPN’s Charlie Creme has the Crimson Tide ranked No. 9.
Alabama still has some SEC Tournament and regular-season games left to play in order to qualify for March Madness.
Therefore, the Crimson Tide didn’t need to lose a crucial game at home to in-state foe Auburn on Sunday.
They proceeded in this manner, at least through the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.
With the help of two crucial 3-pointers from Aaliyah Nye and a fierce defensive renaissance that was absent from the first three quarters, Alabama defeated in-state rival Auburn 67-61.
Regarding the NCAA Tournament, Alabama coach Kristy Curry stated, “I feel like we’re in.” However, you must succeed and manage your company.
We are dissatisfied with where we are, so we have work to do. We are vying for a double bye in the SEC Tournament, which is conceivable.
With five minutes remaining, Alabama became the first team this season to win a game after trailing, and the Crimson Tide advanced to 13-3 at Coleman Coliseum, where they haven’t lost in a month.
In the last quarter, Alabama outscored the Tigers 25-9 and forced eight turnovers. There were none for the Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter.
With about eight minutes remaining, I called a timeout, and I thought we did a better job of communicating the urgency of our defense and producing offense through stops, Curry remarked.
Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker scored 26 points, nine of which came in the third quarter. She needed seven more points going into Sunday’s game to surpass the 1,000-point plateau for her career.
Barker, looking distraught, remarked, I lost my grandma three years ago, and today’s actually her birthday. The day she passed away, February 6, I was named SEC Player of the Week.
The dates of February 6 and February 18 are not coincidental. It’s about having faith that God has me covered always. She had the greatest seat in the house, and I know she’s proud of me.
Nye scored 17 points with four 3-pointers, while Jessica Timmons contributed 13 points.
Auburn defeated Alabama 19-8 in the second quarter and used an 11-1 run in the third quarter to fend off an Alabama comeback, leading 52-42 at the beginning of the fourth. It didn’t help that Alabama committed 15 turnovers in all during the period.
With 3:40 remaining, Barker’s goal gave Alabama its first lead since the second quarter. Then, Alabama led 65-58 when Nye made two 3-pointers in a 10-point run that lasted 40 seconds.
With four games remaining in the regular season, Alabama (19-8, 7-5 SEC) will play No. 1 South Carolina on the road this Thursday.
Before the SEC Tournament, the Crimson Tide play two more crucial home games against Florida and Mississippi State, as well as an away game against Texas A&M.
