Alabama vs. Ole Miss
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Coleman Coliseum
Records: Alabama 12-9, 2-6 SEC; Ole Miss 7-14, 0-9 SEC
TV: SEC Network+
Radio: 1230 AM, 100.1 FM
By Nadia Isaac
Special to The Tuscaloosa News
It was quite a contrast from one game to the next for the Alabama women’s basketball team.
Last Sunday the Crimson Tide’s offense was outstanding, shooting 52 percent from the field, including 70 percent from 3-point range, in a 98-61 rout of Vanderbilt.
In Thursday’s contest Alabama shot a forgettable 30 percent from the floor and 26 percent from 3-point range in a 66-48 loss to Arkansas.
Still, the Crimson Tide has little time to dwell on it as Ole Miss comes to Tuscaloosa on Sunday.
“We have to continue to grow,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “We need to bounce back. I always say it’s the next right thing. We gotta do the next right thing today and come back out and stay consistent with practice.”
Ole Miss is also coming off of a devastating loss. The Rebels were crushed by No. 1 South Carolina 87-32. The Rebels, like Alabama, got off to a slow start. The Gamecocks shut out the Rebels in the first quarter, scoring 18 points to the Rebels’ 0.
As far as Alabama’s offensive woes, the problem is just working on the little things, said Crimson Tide guard Amber Richardson.
“We have to work on our offense and defense and just fine-tune those,” Richardson said. “Fine-tuning the little things and emphasizing communication on and off the court will help us on Sunday,”
Said Alabama forward Jasmine Walker, “Always give that extra effort. We have to put the loss behind us. It was a tough start for us but we put that in our rear view mirror and just keep moving forward.”
Both teams are in need of a win going into Sunday’s game. Alabama is staying focused and practicing hard to make up for the loss on Thursday.
“We will continue to work on both sides of the ball. I think the most important thing is to stay consistent in practice,” Curry said. “On the defensive end, it is important to understand the little things which will make a big difference on player tendency.”
Guard Jordan Lewis, who sat out the second half of last night’s game due to a hand injury, was at practice, but it is still a game-time decision for Sunday.
“She’s full-go today, but we’ll see how she does in practice. She has a hand laceration and we just have to do what’s best for her,” Curry said.
