Despite Barker’s Standout Performance, Alabama Women’s Basketball Falls to Kentucky
The No. 22 Alabama women’s basketball team faced another setback on Thursday night, suffering their second consecutive loss, this time against the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats.
The Crimson Tide showed promise early on, holding a six-point lead after the first quarter. However, a sluggish second quarter proved detrimental, and they ultimately fell to Kentucky with a final score of 65-56. Sarah Ashlee Barker led Alabama’s efforts, contributing 22 points and seven rebounds in what was only her second game back from injury.
Head coach Kristy Curry reflected on the game in a press release, noting both the positives and areas needing improvement. “We definitely learned a few things tonight,” Curry remarked. “Overall, I thought we did a good job on Georgia Amoore, but there were moments where we had too many players standing and watching. We reviewed all three of her first-half shots to teach and improve. Georgia does an excellent job finding her teammates, but I was also impressed with Karly Weathers’ efforts. Georgia only had eight points by halftime, but it was a team effort to contain her. We need to enhance our defensive play in other positions, make it tougher for our opponents to catch the ball, and play more physically. We’ll learn from this and aim to correct our mistakes in the SEC tournament.”
Georgia Amoore played a pivotal role for Kentucky, finishing the game with 16 points and nine assists. With this loss, Alabama’s record now stands at 17-5 overall and 4-4 in the SEC. The Crimson Tide will look to rebound when they host Georgia on Sunday at 2 p.m.
As Alabama gears up for their next matchup, the team is focused on addressing the defensive lapses and physicality issues highlighted by Coach Curry. The hope is that these improvements will position them for a stronger performance in upcoming games and tournaments. Fans and analysts are eager to see how the team will respond and bounce back in their pursuit of excellence.
