Alabama (9-3, 0-1 SEC) could not overcome a huge fourth quarter run from No. 7 Tennessee (12-1, 1-0 SEC) resulting in a 62-44 loss Thursday night. The clash in Knoxville, Tenn. was both teams' first SEC game of the season. Guards Brittany Davis and JaMya Mingo-Young led Alabama in scoring with 12 and 11 points respectively.
"Up until [the last seven minutes] considering the adversity I thought we put ourselves in a good position," Alabama head coach Kristy Curry said. "They were able to make some plays and we weren't, so credit Tennessee for being able to make some shots."
The rust showed for Alabama in the opening minutes, with the Crimson Tide playing their first game since Dec. 13 due to back-to-back games being canceled. Alabama did not score until the 6:44 mark of the first quarter. Tennessee lead Alabama 23-12 at the end of the first quarter, with Alabama's primary issue being shot selection and shot percentage.
The second quarter saw Alabama get a hold of their offensive identity again. The Crimson Tide kept with the Vols stride for stride from the start of the quarter until an 8-0 run with three-pointers from guards JaMya Mingo-Young and Brittany Davis cut Tennessee's lead down to a mere four points. The Vols would push the lead back to six by halftime, but Alabama had made it a ballgame again.
At the half, Alabama was still struggling from the floor shooting only 26%. Mingo-Young led Alabama in scoring in the first half with six points off of two thee-pointers.
Alabama picked up right where it left off to start the second half. The Crimson Tide went on an 8-0 run and took its first lead of the game over the first six minutes of the quarter. Alabama's defense shined as Tennessee did not score a point until just over three minutes left in the quarter. Both teams traded buckets to close the quarter resulting in a one point Tennessee lead entering the fourth quarter.
"I thought we got our feet under us a little bit," Curry said. "We were trying to make them shoot over us, keep them in front, trying to pack the paint a little bit."
The final quarter of action saw Tennessee finally go on another run of its own. The Vols began the quarter with a 9-0 run, which they would never relinquish as they continued to pile it on once the game was out of reach. Points in the paint ended up being the ultimate difference in the game, with Tennessee holding a 34-16 advantage.
"Down the stretch I thought we weren't able to do the things we were able to do in the second and third that got us back in it. We've got to find a way to be more consistent for four quarters," Curry said.
Senior guard Megan Abrams left the game in the first quarter with an injury. "She got an elbow to the mouth, we're trying to have that evaluated as soon as we get home," Curry said.
Alabama will be back in action at home Sunday night taking on Auburn in Coleman Coliseum at 4 p.m. CT.
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