Friday, November 20, 2009

MACON, Ga. – On Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT, Alabama’s Crimson Tide rolls into Nashville to face Belmont in the A-Sun Women’s Basketball Match of the Week. The game will be broadcast live on A-Sun.TV.

Belmont took third in the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason coaches’ poll, just 14 points behind preseason favorite ETSU. The Bruins’ representation on the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun team comes courtesy of guard Amber Rock¬well. Last season, the Tuscaloosa Ala. native played in all 31 contests and started in all but one, leading the Bruins in scoring, three-point field-goal percentage (.360), three-point field goals made (73), field goals made (147) and minutes played. In the A-Sun, Rockwell placed third in scoring (14.7 points per game), third in free-throw percentage (.783), third in three-point field goals made and eighth in three-point field-goal percentage. On Friday against Central Arkansas, Rockwell knocked down five three-pointers and played near perfect from the charity stripe, hit¬ting 12 of her 14 attempts. From the hardwood, the guard drilled 50 percent of her attempts and collected five rebounds, three assists and a steal.

When Alabama made its last trip to Belmont, the Bruins beat the Crimson Tide, 75-58. Rockwell scored 29 points against her hometown team and the win marked the 500th for head coach Tony Cross. The Crimson Tide return junior Tier¬ney Jenkins as the forward highlights a squad of 10 letterwinners, including sophomore guard Ericka Russell, one of eight freshman to be recognized on the 2009 SEC All-Freshman team. Jenkins led the team in several statistical categories last season including points per game (11.1) and rebounds per contest (7.4). The Mt. Juliet, Tenn. native also amassed a team-best eight double-doubles. The game airs on A-Sun.TV.

In Belmont’s last action, the Bruins proved to be too much for UT Martin on the court, dominating every aspect of the game in the 56-46 victory in Martin, Tenn. The Bruins, led by sophomore Haley Nelson, shot 34.0 percent from the hardwood, 68.2 percent from the charity stripe and an uncharacteristic 21.7 percent from behind the three-point arc. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 42-38, assists, 15-7, and blocks, 9-2. Nelson, a sophomore power forward, fell just shy of matching BU's single game record for rebounds with 20, while also adding a career-high 19 points for her second double-double. Nelson also had a game-high four blocks.

Alabama enters the weekend after opening its home slate with a commanding 79-39 victory over the Jackson State Lady Tigers at Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday. Senior Dedrea Magee and junior Tierney Jenkins scored 10 points apiece to lead a balanced Crimson Tide scoring attack that saw all 13 players get on the board. Junior Varisia Raffington and redshirt freshman Candace Sykes each had nine points while junior LaToya King had five points and six assists.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.