Alabama Women’s Basketball Dominates Last Non-Conference Opponent

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- On Sunday, Alabama women's basketball achieved an impressive 93-46 victory against the Jacksonville Dolphins, improving their record to 13-1 and marking the best start in the program's history. Veteran player Aaliyah Nye shone brightly, scoring a career-high 30 points and matching her own Alabama record with eight three-pointers.

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The game began with the Crimson Tide quickly establishing a lead, as four starters contributed to eight of the Crimson Tide's first 10 points, making it 10-4. The Dolphins fought back with a 9-5 run to finish the first quarter, closing the gap to 15-13.

In the second quarter, the Crimson Tide found its rhythm, launching a 12-3 run that included three three-pointers from Nye. After a media timeout, the Crimson Tide continued their momentum with an 18-8 run, heading into halftime with a commanding lead of 47-24 , having allowed just 11 points.

Sarah Ashlee Barker ignited the Crimson Tide at the start of the third quarter, netting seven of Alabama's first 10 points. With additional three-pointers from both Barker and Nye, along with five consecutive free throws, the Crimson Tide's advantage swelled to 69-29. A buzzer-beater-three-pointer from Diana Collins capped off the third quarter, leaving the Crimson Tide ahead 76-40.

With just over five minutes left in the game, Nye hit her eighth 3-pointer, tying her career high. The Crimson Tide maintained their lead through the final minutes, ultimately securing the victory with a final score of 93-46.

“I think it’s always important to come back from Christmas break and have an opportunity to play before the SEC slate begins. I thought our players had a really good day on Dec. 26th, a not so good day on the 27th and a better day on the 28th. Today, we got off to a sluggish start, but pretty much for 35 minutes, I was really pleased with our energy and effort. [Jacksonville] is a team that shoots 27 free throws a game, and we only put them on the free throw line eight times, and then we made 15 of 20. You always want to make more than your opponents shoot. And then we out-rebounded them by seven. Their two strengths are their aggressive spirit on the offensive end – getting to the free throw line and their ability to get offensive putbacks, so I thought we did a really good job in those two areas," said coach Kristy Curry following the win.

The No.20 Crimson Tide will begin Southeastern Conference play at Coleman Coliseum against the Florida Gators on Jan.2 at 6:00 p.m. CT, available on ESPN.