The University of Alabama women’s basketball team took on the Florida Gators at home. Despite being in control most of the second half, the Tide couldn’t hold onto the lead, losing in heartbreaking fashion.
By Zac Al-Khateeb
Sports Editor
The University of Alabama women’s basketball team lost against the Florida Gators at home today, losing 67-61. With the loss, the Tide has now lost eight-consecutive conference games.
The Tide had yet another slow start, allowing the Gators to jump out to a quick 6-0 lead within three minutes. The Tide finally managed to get its offense together, however, quickly bringing the game within reach.
Neither team could gain a significant advantage, as the first half featured three lead changes. Entering halftime, Alabama trailed Florida by one, 31-32.
Alabama exploded out of the gates in the second half however, going on a 10-0 run carried over from the first half.
Alabama greatly minimized its mistakes on offense while minimizing the amount of second-chance points for the Gators. Alabama had respective runs of 10 and eight points in the second half, and led the Gators by 13 with just under 10 minutes remaining, with a score of 53-40.
From there, the Gators took complete control. The Gators had runs of nine and 16 points, while Alabama only scored five baskets the remainder of the half. Florida ended the game on a 29-10 run over Alabama.
Alabama head coach Wendell Hudson said the way in which his team lost was disappointing, especially considering its substantial lead late in the game.
Junior guard Shafontaye Myers shared the same sentiments as her coach.
“Florida made the easy shots,” Myers said. “They made the shots they needed to make, and we had no control over it.”
Still, Hudson attributed the team’s loss not to its inability to stop Florida from scoring, but to its own inability to keep extending the lead.
“Just shooting the basketball, getting the ball in the baskets, that’s just one of them things,” Hudson said. “We got the plays we needed. We got the looks we needed. We just need to make shots.”
Indeed, the Tide only shot 35 percent on the game, and only shot 20 percent from beyond the arch, compared to 43 percent field goal percentage. The Gators also outperformed the Tide in free throw percentage, shooting 80 percent to Alabama’s 57.
Despite the Tide’s difficulty shooting the ball, it did have three players score in double digits. Junior and senior guards Jasmine Robinson and Meghan Perkins shot 11 and 14 points, respectively. Myers led the team with 15 points against the Gators.
Myers said it would be important for her teammates to keep their heads up in the remainder of the season. Indeed, for Hudson, his team’s lack of confidence is the cause of most of its problems, including his team’s performance late in the second half.
“Winning and losing are both contagious,” Hudson said. “And instead of thinking, ‘We have to get over the hump,’ we start thinking, ‘Can we get over the hump?’ We did not play the way we needed to, down the stretch.”
Source:
http://dateline.ua.edu/2013/02/womens-basketball-drops-eighth-straight-conference-game/
No comments:
Post a Comment