University of Northern Iowa
Alabama
Women's Basketball Falls 76-56 to Alabama in Nugget Classic Consolation Game
11/29/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2008
RENO, Nev. -- The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team was unable to overcome a 14-0 Alabama run that spanned over the end of the first half and the start of the second in a 76-56 loss to the Crimson Tide in the consolation game of the Nugget Classic.
Nicole Clausen and Alexa Mennen finished with seven points and seven rebounds for UNI.
Alabama's Alyson Butler was 5-of-10 from behind the arc to lead all scorers with 15 points.
Alabama (4-2) built an early 11-5 lead, but Nicole Clausen drained a three from the right wing on UNI's next trip down the floor, pulling UNI within one, 11-10 with 13:53 to play. Daleisha Carn and Lizzie Boeck traded baskets, but Alabama scored the next four points to stretch its lead to 17-12 with 12:04 left in the half.
Kim Wypiszynski was fouled on a three-point attempt, and she made two of the three free throws to pull the Panthers within three, 17-14.
A basket by Carn gave the Crimson Tide a 19-14 advantage, but a basket from Wypiszynski and a free throw from Alexa Mennen pulled the Panthers within two, 19-17 with 10:35 left in the half.
After Alabama rattled off five points to build a 24-17 lead, Indy Uhlenhopp made a layup to cut the deficit to 24-19. The Crimson Tide rolled off the game's next six points to take a 30-19 lead with 7:09 to play.
Jacqui Kalin ended a scoring drought that lasted nearly five minutes with a three that brought the score to 30-22 with 3:50 to play.
Ericka Russell answered with a three for Alabama, however, to keep the Crimson Tide lead at 11. Lizzie Boeck scored on the block with 3:02 on the clock to bring the score to 33-24 in favor of Alabama.
The Panthers were held scoreless through the last three minutes of the half, and Alabama scored eight unanswered points to end the period and take a 41-24 lead into the break.
Alabama scored the first six points of the second half to stretch its lead to 47-24 with 17:20 to play. The Panthers were never able to close the gap to less than 15 after that, and Alabama led by as many as 24 points on the way to the win.
The Panthers shot 17-of-51 (33.3 percent) from the floor, including 5-of-24 (20.8 percent) from three-point range. UNI finished 17-of-21 (81 percent) from the free-throw line.
Alabama shot 31-of-70 (44.3 percent) from the floor, includuing 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) from three-point range. The Crimson Tide made five of their six (83.3 percent) free-throw attempts.
The Panthers return to action on Wednesday when they host Northern Illinois at 12:05 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
