Alabama Women’s Basketball is Continuing to Make History

WEST PALM, Fla. -  The Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team is making waves this season, securing their second tournament title and improving their record to 12-1, the best start since the 2016-17 season.

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After defeating No.15 Michigan State on Friday, the Crimson Tide faced the Richmond Spiders on Saturday in a championship showdown. The Spiders put up a strong fight but ultimately fell 75-68.

The Crimson Tide kicked off the first quarter with a 7-0 run in the opening three minutes. They maintained a nine-point lead at the first media timeout, but the Spiders responded with a 13-6 run, narrowing the gap to just one point by the end of the quarter, Alabama led 21-20.

In the second quarter, both teams traded baskets, but the Crimson Tide pulled ahead, outscoring the Spiders 20-11. They held the Spiders scoreless for the last 4:26 of the quarter, taking a 10-point lead into halftime (41-31).

The Spiders emerged from the locker room with renewed energy, quickly challenging the Crimson Tide by outscoring them 14-7 in the first five minutes, narrowing the deficit to three points by the under-five-minutes media timeout. They maintained their defensive pressure, outpacing the Crimson Tide 22-10, they secured the lead at 53-51 as they entered the fourth quarter.

Karly Weathers ignited the Crimson Tide at the start of the fourth, scoring the first five points to reclaim the lead. However, the teams continued to trade baskets, with the score tied at 58-58 with under five minutes to play.

The intensity ramped up as the Crimson Tide found themselves down 65-64 with just two minutes to go. They responded decisively with a 9-1 run, along with some much-needed  free throws in the final moments to clinch a 75-68 victory.

“We challenged the team at halftime. We had to take care of the basketball because we had way too many turnovers. We weren’t being aggressive and I thought our team really got the message at the half. We did a much better job at coming out and playing with our personality and not letting anyone dictate who we are. I’m so proud of our team in the third and the fourth [quarters]. I thought we did a much better job in the second half. We showed a lot of toughness and grit today and that’s the bottom line," said coach Kristy Curry following the win.

This win marked the Crimson Tide's second tournament title, following their triumph at the Emerald Coast Classic on Nov.27. They will return to Coleman Coliseum on Dec. 29 at 11:00 a.m. CT to face the Jacksonville State Dolphins on SEC Network+, before kicking off Southeastern Conference play against the Florida Gators on Jan. 2 at 6:00 p.m. CT.