Green scores 23 points as No. 19 Alabama beats Missouri 68-49 for 1st 2-0 SEC start since 2003-04
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Zaay Green scored 23 points and the No. 19 Alabama women earned their 15th win in their first 16 games, dominating Missouri 68-49 on Sunday.
The Crimson Tide won their second-straight Southeastern Conference game, the first time they have started conference play 2-0 since the 2003-04 season.
Missouri (11-6, 0-2) took an early 11-6 lead, but Aaliyah Nye sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around JeAnna Cunningham’s three-point play to give Alabama a 15-11 lead after a quarter. andThe Tide scored 11 of their 17 second-quarter points from the free throw line to build a 32-20 halftime advantage.
Green assured Alabama got off to a strong start in the third and fourth quarters, scoring the team’s first seven points in the third and first five in the fourth. The Tide led by as many as 30 in the fourth quarter.
Alabama was without graduate guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who left Thursday’s 79-69 win over Florida with a lower-leg injury and is considered day-to-day. With her out, Green, a transfer guard from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, was 8 of 19 from the field, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and led the team’s offense for the second time in as many games. Nye finished with 11 points by hitting 3 of 5 from deep and Essense Cody scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench.
Angelique Ngalakulondi scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds and Nyah Wilson added nine points off the bench to lead Missouri.
Alabama travels to face No. 5 Texas and Missouri plays at Georgia, both on Thursday.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball