TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama puts its SEC size and shooting touch on full display here Sunday in a 72-52 decision over Colgate.
That was particularly true in the second half, when the Crimson Tide outscored the Raiders 40-26 en route to their second-largest victory of the season.
Alabama entered the game shooting just under 41 percent but connected at 50.9 in this one. The hosts also dominated the boards to the tune of 41-23.
Colgate, now 7-3, stayed close for a half, including a 15-15 stalemate in the second quarter that sent the Raiders to the locker room trailing only 32-26.
Abby Schubiger scored eight in that opening half and
Taylor Langan had seven.
But Alabama opened the second half with a 7-0 spurt that sparked a 24-14 third quarter. The Crimson Tide extended their lead to as many as 26 points before settling on the final 20-point spread and their sixth win in nine games.
Langan was the Colgate scoring leader with 14, followed by
Rachel Thompson with 13 and Schubiger 10.
Colgate took care of the ball despite Alabama's size and length, finishing with 13 assists to just 12 turnovers while forcing 21 miscues by the home side. Thompson was Colgate's assist leader with four to go with four steals.
Colgate's best-shooting quarter was the second, when they made 7-of-17 for 41.2 percent. The Raiders for the game shot 34.9 percent, including 5-of-13 from downtown. Alabama was 10-of-24 from long range.
Bottom Line
• Alabama 72, Colgate 52
From the Source
•
Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the game) "We put a scare in them with the way we competed in that first half. But this game was similar to the Saint Louis game in that they came out in the second half and took it to us and we were never able to rebound, never able to get a rhythm. We lost shooters in the second half and Alabama did a good job of hitting open shots. They really exposed us on every one of our mistakes, especially in the third quarter. Teams like that make you pay, so that's a great lesson for us."
"I was proud of the way we played, particularly in that first half. And I love playing these games because it shows us where we need to make improvements. These are opportunities for us to learn and improve, and in order for us to get better, we have to correct the mistakes we made today and maintain our focus for 40 minutes."
Stats of the Game
• Langan led the Raiders in scoring (14) and rebounding (5), the latter for the first time in her career.
• She finished 6-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from downtown.
• Alabama was 10-of-14 from the field during the pivotal third quarter.
• Alabama's Jasmine Walker led all scorers with 16 to go with a game-high 11 boards.
• The 6-3 forward was a sparking 4-of-7 from long range.
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Coleman Coliseum was 1,787.
Up Next
• Colgate takes a break for finals before hosting Wagner Dec. 22 in its final nonleague matchup.
• The Seahawks are 4-3 heading into their next game Dec. 15 against Stony Brook.
• Tipoff is approximately 2 p.m., or immediately following the Colgate-Columbia men's game at noon. The Patriot League Network and 94 WKXZ-FM carry all the action.
