Alabama

[champion110]

Alabama, much like Mississppi State, has been inconsistent this year. They are 7-3 on the year, but have not won a road game yet. In fact, they have a 6 game losing streak on the road dating back to last year. In their last game, they were up by 17 points against Tulane, only to lose the game. Hopefully, we won't get that far behind, but we should have hope that we can pull it out, if we do. Their wins were against light weights this year so far. No "wow" victories and beat all that they should have beaten. We need to ROCK THE TAC and make sure that they don't get that road win against us. We need a home victory in a BAD way.

Here is the article from their site:

Alabama Women’s Basketball Looks for First Road Win Saturday Release: 12/14/2006


Game Notes



TUSCALOOSA – The Crimson Tide women’s basketball team, which holds a six-game win streak at home this season but also has an identical six-game losing streak in road games dating back to last season, looks for its first victory in an opposing arena this season on Saturday, Dec. 16, when the team travels to Louisiana Tech for its final non-conference road game. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Louisiana Tech, one of the perennial powers in women’s college basketball, comes into the game with a 3-7 mark in 2006-07. The Lady Techsters earned a road win in Starkville over Mississippi State on Wednesday, Dec. 13 as a part of their difficult non-conference schedule.
“Louisiana Tech is one of the most storied programs in all of women’s basketball,” said Alabama head coach Stephany Smith. “They are a team with tremendous athleticism and great size. They love to push the ball in transition. and extend their defense and press. It is mandatory that we do a much better job of taking care of the basketball than we did last weekend at Tulane.”
Alabama, 7-3, led by as many as 17 points in the first half of its most recent game at Tulane last Saturday before a second-half Green Wave shooting barrage led them to a 15-point win. Navonda Moore, the team’s leading scorer, poured in 30 points in the loss, her second career 30-point performance, but the Tide committed 26 turnovers, including 17 in the second half.
The Crimson Tide’s series with Tech has included several notable games, including a loss to Louisiana Tech in the 1994 Final Four in Richmond, Va. The Lady Techsters also ended the Tide’s season in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Alabama has won just once in 10 attempts against Tech in series history.
The game can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network, with David Crane providing commentary.
Alabama returns to Coleman Coliseum for a pair of games prior to the Holiday break. The Tide welcomes Birmingham Southern to Tuscaloosa on Monday, Dec. 18 and hosts Belmont on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Both games are set to tip-off at 7 p.m.

[tigtoo30]

Gonna be a good one. I'm hoping that the Miss. State game gave these girls some confidence, and we can pull the first of many more wins off tomorrow. Would be nice to be 2-1 against SEC teams going into the LSU game.

[Abominable Gorilla]

Would be nice to be 2-1 against SEC teams going into the LSU game.

Would be nice to be 3-1 against SEC teams leaving the LSU game.

The Alabama game should be fun.

[champion110]

I will be there and can't wait! Leaving in the morning to do the "grandma's Christmas" thing and then on to the game. There will be, at least, 6 in our game group, but more than likely around 12.

[philgarris]

I SO want to be there, dang this living in Florida, I will wake up tomorrow night in time to listen to the game and maybe watch it on WAC TV. The joys of having to work for a newspaper.
They will be a very well coached team. She is a talented woman that did a great job with MTSU.
This would be a nice start to getting ready for the conference with a win tomorrow night.

[champion110]

Tide tries to regroup for Techsters


By Tommy Deas
Sports Writer
December 16. 2006 3:30AM

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TUSCALOOSA | Stephany Smith doesn’t believe it was Tulane’s full-court press that caused the University of Alabama women’s basketball team to commit 19 second-half turnovers and turn a 17-point first-half lead into a 15-point road loss.

As far as the Crimson Tide’s second-year coach is concerned, Alabama’s real enemy was itself.

“We were just bad," she said.

Smith is looking for Alabama to be better today when the Tide visits Louisiana Tech for a 7:05 p.m. game at Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La.

The loss at Tulane snapped a four-game winning streak for Alabama, which hasn’t won a game on an opponent’s home floor this season. Smith puts the defeat squarely on the shoulders of seniors guards Kate Mastin and Navonda Moore, along with freshman point guard Nikki Davis.

“It started with Nikki Davis was bad and Navonda Moore was bad and Kate Mastin was bad," the coach said. “Those are our three best guards and arguably our three best players.

“If they don’t play well we can’t win. I know Navonda scored 30 points, but she needs to score 50 if we’re going to play defense like that."

Smith also said Moore ended up scoring so many points because the offense broke down and she had to create her own shots.

Alabama expected Tulane to press and spent time practicing for it. “It’s what they do," Smith said of Tulane. “We knew that they were going to. We have way too many ball-handlers for a press to affect us like that.

“We have the pieces. We have someone [Davis] who could probably beat a press all by herself, but she has yet to stand up and demand the ball. We’re just young and got rattled."

Alabama spent 30 minutes working on full-court pressure in Thursday’s practice before departing for Ruston the next day.

“Louisiana Tech’s going to press us for sure," Smith said. “It’s what Louisiana Tech does. We could shoot layups all day long and that’s what Louisiana Tech is going to do."

While the Lady Techsters have struggled to a 3-7 start, this game will probably be Alabama’s best pre-conference look at what life on the road in the Southeastern Conference will be like. Louisiana Tech has won two NCAA championships and nine trips to the Final Four. Smith expects a hostile crowd.

“Every game to this point has prepared us for SEC play because it’s prepared us to wake up the next day and take another step forward," the coach said. “This is a great environment, tremendous athletes, banners flying."

Smith doesn’t expect Alabama to be intimidated by Louisiana Tech’s tradition.

“Our kids are so young, when we walk into our first SEC road game at Tennessee they’re not going to know what that is," Smith said.

“They have no fear. They don’t know to be afraid. That’s why you’ll jump out of a tree when you’re 3 but you won’t when you’re 23."

Reach Tommy Deas at tommy.deas@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0224.

[champion110]

This needs to be a VERY hostile crowd! I hope as many as possible will head to the TAC this evening to support our Techsters. This could be a fun game, if the crowd is able to get in the heads of the Alabama players. I will be heading out soon for a day in the world class resort town of Arcadia, Louisiana and then on to the game tonight, so won't be posting today or during the game.

[aubunique]

The Bulldog game is on the listen live link.

The official Web site, however, lists both the dogs and the ladies on the same station starting now!

Is there a way to follow both?