by NASSAU, Bahamas – The Alabama women’s basketball team battled the No. 17-ranked Utah Utes on Monday, falling 93-86 in the Tide’s opening game of the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship.
Alabama had four players score in double figures as Brittany Davis posted 23 points to lead all scorers while adding five assists and three rebounds. Aaliyah Nye (Pottawatomi) notched her second consecutive double-figure game, going 5-of-7 from beyond the arc for a 17-point game. Loyal McQueen and Megan Abrams both scored 15 points in the game.
Utah was led by a 21-point, four-rebound performance from Gian Kneepkens. Kneepkens made 8-of-8 free throws in the game as the Utes shot 27-of-28 from the charity stripe.
Alabama Head Coach Kristy Curry Said
“So it was a fun game. Not so fun the outcome but I loved our team today. I thought we did so many good things. You know to have three more field goals (than Utah), and you know the difference was the free throw line. We were 12-of-14 and they were 27-of-28. I thought we missed a couple shots late that normally we make and I thought Aalyiah Nye being lost for the game hurt. We just weren’t able to get enough stops without putting them on the free throw line. To play the No. 17 in the team in the country, it was just a completely different effort from South Florida, who I think is a tournament team. I told our team a few minutes ago that this schedule was put in place to make January less difficult and to be more prepared. I loved who they were trying to be today and now we have to let this go at midnight and get ready for the next one. That’s the joy of the game. The game just continues to give and it’s all in our response when it gives back another opportunity to play so quickly.”
Game Stats
- Davis (23) and Nye (17) tallied 40 of the Crimson Tide’s 86 points in the game
- The 23-point performance was the third 20+ point game this season for Davis as she led all players from the floor
- Nye captured her second consecutive double-figure game as she went 5-of-7 from distance
