The Alabama women’s basketball team defeated Northwestern State 87-73 on Sunday inside Coleman Coliseum to give head coach Kristy Curry her 400th career victory.
“It’s good to have five players in double figures,” Curry said. “I thought we had great team balance today. It’s good to have a back-to-the-basket post presence with Ariyah (Copeland). She did a great job today with her double-double.”
“We have to continue working on free throws, but at the end of the day it was a great team effort. We have to improve the turnovers. It is very vivid at times, especially from our starting group. I didn’t feel like they were focused and ready to play like they needed to be today, but at the end of the day it was good to find a way to win.”
The Tide offense boasted five players scoring in double figures, headlined by a career day from sophomore Copeland. On top of her career-high 26 points, Copeland tallied 12 rebounds, registering her second double-double of the season and the third of her career. Freshman De’Sha Benjamin also reached a career-high in scoring, totaling 16 points. Junior guards Jordan Lewis and Cierra Johnson each pitched in 12 points, and senior Shaquera Wade added 10.
Northwestern State jumped out to a 5-3 lead, but the Tide led 26-13 entering the second quarter. The Lady Demons cut the Crimson Tide lead to 28-27, then the Tide went on a 12-5 run to extend its advantage to 40-32. The Crimson Tide led 46-39 after the first 20 minutes of action. The Crimson Tide clung to a double-digit advantage throughout the third period and entered the fourth with a 64-50 lead, then coasted through the final frame.
Alabama outrebounded the Lady Demons 53-30. The Tide shot 44 percent (27-of-61) from the floor as a team and assisted on 15 of its made field goals. The UA offense was a force inside, scoring 42 points in the paint.
The Tide takes on Virginia at 3 p.m. Dec. 20 in Orlando, Fla., as a part of the Florida Sunshine Classic.
