Alabama
Alabama women’s basketball dominates Arkansas on Thursday to win improve to 4-4 in conference play
Alabama women’s basketball put on a defensive clinic in Thursday’s win against the Arkansas Razorbacks, 86-70, despite a late scare from Arkansas. Alabama’s 85 points was the highest in SEC play all season.
The Crimson Tide played its most complete game of the season against the Razorbacks most of the way until Arkansas went on a 26-2 run late in the third quarter and nearly the full fourth quarter, but Alabama was able to survive by going on a late 6-0 run.
Alabama had five players in double-figures scoring for the first time all season. Sarah Ashlee Barker led the way for Alabama with 25, followed by Karly Weathers with 16, Aaliyah Nye with 15, and Jessica Timmons and Essence Cody with 12 apiece.
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More: What channel is Alabama women’s basketball on vs Arkansas? Time and TV schedule for Thursday’s game
Here are three takeaways from the game between Alabama (17-6, 4-4 SEC) and Arkansas (16-7, 4-4 SEC):
Barker continues her stellar scoring
Coming off a career game against Kentucky with 34 points and 10 rebounds, Sarah Ashlee Barker continued her historic scoring run in Fayetteville scoring 11 first half points, leading all first half scorers.
Barker finished the game with 25 points and 11 rebounds, recording her second double-double in as many games.
Barker is the first Alabama player to get 20+ points in back-to-back games all season.
Alabama returns to its defensive identity
Alabama played one its best defensive halves of the season in the first half holding the Razorbacks to just 25% shooting from the field.
Despite the lack of forced turnovers, the Crimson Tide allowed just two points in the paint, while making every shot as difficult as possible for Arkansas from each part of the court.
Alabama also held Arkansas to a season-low six points in the second quarter, giving them a 43-25 lead at halftime.
Weathers provides a spark
Karly Weathers was ubiquitous for Alabama on Thursday, hustling up and down the court and rebounding the ball off the bench at a high level.
Weathers was also able to score affectively on Thursday night along with a season-high 16 points shooting 4-for-6 from three-point range. Weathers was able to get 10 rebounds and four assists as well, joining Sarah Ashlee Barker with a double-double herself, but her impact on the game went beyond just the numbers against the Razorbacks.
Weathers’ double-double was the first of her career.
Up next:
The Crimson Tide travel to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Commodores in Memorial Gymnasium on Monday, Feb. 5 (6 p.m., SEC Network).
Alabama
Oklahoma DC Zac Alley Alabama Postgame
Carson Field has worked full-time in the sports media industry since 2020 in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming as well as nationally, and he has earned degrees from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University. When he isn’t covering the Sooners, he’s likely golfing, fishing or doing something else outdoors.
Twitter: https://x.com/carsondfield
Alabama
Alabama Football at Oklahoma Injury Updates
NORMAN, Okla.–– The Alabama football team stayed relatively healthy in last week’s game against Mercer after suffering a few season-ending injuries in the weeks before with guys like Cole Adams and Que Robinson.
Adams, Robinson and defensive back on Keon Sabb are the only three Crimson Tide players who have showed up on the official SEC availability report this week as Alabama prepares to face Oklahoma on Saturday night. However, the Sooners have a long list of players on the report
Follow along for injury updates throughout Saturday’s game between the Crimson Tide and Sooners.
In-game injury updates
First Quarter
- 11:30- Overton is back on the field for Alabama’s second defensive series.
- 14:30- Alabama defensive tackle LT Overton goes down on the first drive of the game. He is brielfy looked at by medical staff, but is able to walk off the field on his own. However, he headed straight for the injury tent.
Pregame
Alabama Final Availability Report
- Keon Sabb, DB – Out
- Cole Adams, WR – Out
- Que Robinson, LB – Out
Oklahoma Final Availability Report
- Jayden Gibson, WR – Out
- Jalil Farooq, WR- Out
- Nic Anderson, WR – Out
- Andrel Anthony, WR – Out
- Gentry Williams, DB – Out
- Kendel Dolby, DB – Out
- Geirean Hatchett, OL – Out
- Jacob Sexton, OL – Out
- Jake Taylor, OL – Out
- Deion Burks, WR – Out
- Jovantae Barnes, RB – Game-time decision
- Joshua Bates, OL – Out
Read more: What Happened to the Players who Transferred From Alabama Last Year?
Why One Alabama Assistant Has Been Losing Sleep this Week
Where Alabama Football Ranks in the College Football Playoff Poll
Alabama
Oklahoma-Alabama GameDay Preview: Under the Radar
These can feel like grasping at straws sometimes, but in this case, I really think Jacob Jordan can be the difference for the OU passing game. Deion Burks probably isn’t going to play. Jalil Farooq has already been downgraded to questionable after he gave it a try two weeks ago at Mizzou. The return of those two players — for better or worse — did almost nothing for the offense in Columbia. Meanwhile, as the coaching staff inserted their stars back into the lineup, it came at the expense of Jordan, the true freshman walk-on who had blossomed in a three-week stretch, catching six passes for 86 yards against South Carolina, six for 38 and a touchdown at Ole Miss and three for 36 against Maine. At Mizzou? Jordan got to play one snap and was relegated to the end of the bench. OU defenders say he’s a frustrating player to cover because he runs such precise routes and catches almost everything. Also, when Jackson Arnold was benched and running the scout team, he developed some chemistry with Jordan. The Sooner staff would be wise to utilize him against the Crimson Tide.
— John E. Hoover
Alright, a Butkus Award semifinalist and the heartbeat of Oklahoma’s football team is probably too high-profile to qualify as “under the radar,” but it’s Senior Night and I’m going to bend the rules. Stutsman was everywhere against Missouri, totaling 19 tackles and preventing the Tigers from having much of a rushing attack at all. He’s going to say all the right things, but Stutsman’s final game on Owen Field means a great deal to him and his family, and I expect we’ll see another fantastic outing from the talismanic linebacker. And Oklahoma will need it. Jalen Milroe’s ability on the ground makes Alabama’s entire offensive operation go. The teams that have had success bottling him up, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, were able to upend the Crimson Tide. Any path to a shock OU victory runs through a night to remember for Stutsman — something he’s completely capable of on Saturday.
— Ryan Chapman
Even though Saturday marks Senior Day in Norman, the Sooners will be leaning heavily on a true freshman against the Crimson Tide. Coming off a career-high 56 yards on nine carries against Missouri, running back Xavier Robinson said he’s burning his redshirt seems to be in line for an increased share of the team’s carries this week when Alabama comes to town. If the Oklahoma City product has another strong performance, it could be enough to spark Oklahoma’s offense and keep the Sooners in contention against a formidable opponent who has been able to light up the scoreboard this season.
— Randall Sweet
The Sooners will need explosive plays to have a chance to take down Alabama. With receiver Deion Burks injured and sidelined again, the speedy Brenen Thompson might be OU’s best chance at a big play. Thompson has reached the end zone twice this season, and the last time was a 54-yard touchdown connection with Jackson Arnold, proving what Thompson is capable of if he and Arnold get the time they need. Alabama might also overlook the 5-foot-9 receiver and focus on a bigger threat like Jalil Farooq, possibly freeing Thompson, if even for one big play.
— Dekota Gregory
Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has been a hot topic of conversation all season long. The Sooners have been banged up and the passing game has been extremely quiet. Whether it’s the quarterback spot, the offensive line, or the short handed receiver group, it’s been an all-around failure. Jalil Farooq has been injured for most of the season, but returned to the lineup against Missouri two weeks ago. He was expected to have a breakout campaign, but injuries have hampered his time on the field. Farooq looked rusty in his first week back, and it looked like he might not fully trust his foot yet. With a bye week in the past, this is the time for Farooq to make a difference, though. Oklahoma will desperately need him with no other starting receivers healthy, and could force feed him early and often.
— Ross Lovelace
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