In a rowdy environment at Coleman Coliseum on Sunday, Alabama women’s basketball rallied behind a great fourth quarter to defeat Auburn, 67-61, to pick up its 10th win in the last 12 meetings against the Tigers.
“I thought our crowd was the difference down the stretch, just an incredible environment,” coach Kristy Curry said.
The Crimson Tide put together a spectacular fourth quarter in which they outscored Auburn, 25-9, behind some heroic scoring from Aaliyah Nye and Sarah Ashlee Barker.
NICK SABAN COMMEMORATIVE BOOK:Relive Nick Saban’s epic Alabama football coaching career with our special book! Preorder here.
CURRY PICKS UP 500:Alabama women’s basketball coach Kristy Curry picks up 500th career win
Here are three takeaways from the game between Alabama (20-7, 7-5 SEC) and Auburn (16-9, 5-8 SEC):
Barker eclipses 1000 points
Guard Sarah Ashlee Barker became the 34th member of Alabama women’s basketball program history to join the 1,000-point club, and becomes the second member this season to join the club, joining Aaliyah Nye.
Barker needed seven points for a career 1,000 and got it at the 3:18 minute mark in the first quarter.
She continues to lead Alabama in points per game and ranks eighth in the SEC in that category.
Auburn’s defense tightens up in second quarter
After trailing in the first quarter, Auburn came out on a mission in the second quarter, particularly on the defensive end.
The Tigers were able to hold the Crimson Tide to just eight second quarter points on a robust 3-for-14 from the field while outscoring Alabama, 19-8.
At halftime, the Tigers led the Crimson Tide, 37-29.
Fourth quarter comeback
In what looked to be a game where Auburn runs away with it, Alabama was able to put together one of its best quarters of the season and escape Coleman Coliseum with a victory.
The Crimson Tide looked defeated in the second and third quarters, but a 25-9 run in the fourth quarter and the energy from the home crowd propelled the Alabama to the win.
This marked the first time all season that the Crimson Tide were able to come back when trailing with less than five minutes to go in the game.
Up next
The Crimson Tide travel to Columbia, S.C., to take on the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. CT.
First appeared on www.tuscaloosanews.com