Alabama Women's Basketball Ends Home Winning Streak Against Tennessee

The Crimson Tide saw its 18-game home winning streak end in a hard fought defensive battler as No. 20 Tennessee pulled away late for a 70-59 victory on Sunday.

Both teams traded leads throughout the matchup, with seven total lead changes before Tennessee's late surge sealed the win.

Jessica Timmons collected her sixth 20 plus game (22) and Karly Weathers earned her 11th double-digit game (11). Talaysia Cooper led the Volunteers with 16 points as Janiah Barker finished with 11 rebounds.

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First Quarter: Fast Start Behind Transition and Threes (17-14 Alabama)

Alabama set the tone early after winning the opening tip, as Diana Collins attacked the rim for a driving layup less than 20 seconds into the game. The Crimson Tide leaned on pace and ball movement, getting out in transition when possible. Naomi Jones finished a fast-break layup off a Ta’Mia Scott assist, before Timmons knocked down Alabama’s first three of the afternoon.

Momentum swung further in Alabama’s favor when Weathers buried a fast-break three off a Collins assist, giving the Crimson Tide an early spark. Collins added a second-chance layup following her own offensive rebound, while Jones chipped in from the free-throw line after a turnover. Late in the quarter, Ace Austin capped the opening period with a corner three, keeping Alabama within striking distance heading to the second.

Second Quarter: Offensive Balance Keeps Alabama Close (35-28 Tennessee)

Alabama continued to manufacture points through effort plays early in the second quarter. Waiata Jennings converted a second-chance layup after an offensive rebound, cutting into Tennessee’s lead. The Crimson Tide then found rhythm from deep, as Weathers drilled a three to swing the momentum and push Alabama briefly in front.

Timmons took over midway through the quarter, scoring on a second-chance jumper and following it with a fast-break bucket to maintain pressure. Alabama closed the half strong with Scott slicing through the defense for a driving layup, helping the Crimson Tide head into halftime within a single possession after a gritty, defensive-minded half.

Third Quarter: Trading Baskets, No Separation (51-46 Tennessee)

The third quarter turned into a back-and-forth affair, with Alabama answering Tennessee’s runs with timely shooting. Weathers once again delivered from beyond the arc, knocking down her second three of the game off a Timmons assist. Moments later, Timmons followed with a second-chance jumper and a transition basket, keeping the Crimson Tide firmly in contention.

Scott added another strong take to the rim for a driving layup, as Alabama stayed aggressive attacking gaps in the defense. Despite multiple defensive stops and interior rebounds from Jones, the Tide couldn’t fully capitalize, entering the fourth quarter still within one possession.

Fourth Quarter: Brief Lead Before Late Push (70-59 Tennessee)

Alabama opened the final period by capitalizing at the free-throw line, with Timmons converting two foul shots off a turnover. Jones followed with a split pair at the stripe after securing an offensive rebound, trimming the deficit to two.

The Tide briefly surged ahead when Weathers scored in the paint, followed by a go-ahead three from Timmons, giving Alabama its first lead since the early moments of the game. Timmons stayed hot, adding a pull-up jumper to keep Alabama in front as the teams exchanged blows.

Late in the quarter, Austin attacked the rim for a driving layup, but Alabama struggled to convert on several key possessions down the stretch. Despite multiple offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities, shots wouldn’t fall. Alancia Ramsey added a late free throw, but Tennessee closed the game at the line, sealing the outcome.

Alabama Womens' Basketball Head Coach Kristy Curry shared her thoughts about the 70-59 loss.

Well, first thing, amazing crowd. I hope everybody will come back out next Sunday; we need everybody in here against a good Mississippi State team but thank you to everybody that came out today. What a great environment. I'm proud of our team. I thought we had a competitive nature about us that was special. We responded to a hard week, just came up a little bit short. I thought we battled on the boards to outrebound them but weren't able to keep the ball in front of us a couple times. It's like I told our team, sometimes it is just only one possession, but they accumulate. We had too much accumulation that we just couldn't find a way to counter. However, I'm excited. This team has won 17 games, and we're going continue to try and just get a little better every day – you either handle adversity, or it handles you, and the only thing I know to do is to work on it

As Alabama battled in a tightly contested matchup, the rest of the SEC delivered a full slate of action marked by decisive wins and standout individual efforts.

No. 2 South Carolina remained dominant, rolling to a 90-48 road win over Coppin State. The Gamecocks built a comfortable early lead and extended it through balanced scoring and stout defense to stay perfect in SEC play.

Georgia picked up an impressive 82-59 victory against No. 16 Ole Miss in Athens. Dani Carnegie exploded for a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, and Trinity Turner added a double-double, fueling the Lady Bulldogs’ balanced attack.

In Gainesville, Florida handed Missouri an 89-71 loss. The Gators jumped out early with a strong offensive showing and maintained control throughout, while Missouri’s Grace Slaughter and Shannon Dowell each scored in double figures in the losing effort.

No. 6 LSU continued its top-tier SEC run with a 91-72 victory at No. 13 Oklahoma. The Tigers overcame an early deficit with a big second-quarter push and paced themselves with balance scoring — including a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double from Flau’Jae Johnson and a career-high 21 from Jada Richard — to pull away in the second half and improve to 17-2 on the season.

In Austin, No. 4 Texas dominated Texas A&M in an 80-35 rout. The Longhorns took control early and exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Aggies by a wide margin to coast home. Texas improved to 19-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play, while A&M struggled to find offense throughout the contest.

Mississippi State pulled off an upset, topping No. 7 Kentucky 71-59 in Starkville. The Bulldogs used efficient shooting and strong rebounding — including a dominant outing on the boards — to slow Kentucky’s attack and build separation in the second half. Kharyssa Richardson led MSU with 23 points in the standout performance.

After their loss to Tennessee, The Crimson Tide will be on a bye week. They will return to action this Sunday against Mississippi State. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT on the SEC Network +.

Alabama Players with Double-Digit Points

Jessica Timmons- 22 points

Karly Weathers - 11 points

Alabama Stat Leaders��

Points: Jessica Timmons - 22

Assists: Jessica Timmons - 2

Rebounds: Naomi Jones - 11

Chase Brumfield is the morning producer and writer for Tide 100.9. He is a recent graduate from Mississippi State University as a Communications Major. Follow Chase for more Alabama content on X at @cb3864.