Bama improves to 6-0; Knight is honored

The University of Alabama women’s basketball team, behind a career-high 20 points from junior Breanna Hayden, won the 2015 Nugget Classic after topping Utah Valley 67-60 Saturday at the University of Nevada’s Lawlor Events Center.
With the win, the Crimson Tide moves to 6-0 for the first time since the 2002 season, while the loss drops the Wolverines to 6-2.
“I’m proud,” Alabama women’s head basketball coach Kristy Curry said in a news release. “I thought we showed a lot of toughness. We played a very good team that had nine returning players, and they’re bringing their leading scorer from a year ago off the bench.
“They’re just really well-coached, and they run a set every time down the floor. I thought we were really good at trying to make sure that we got critical stops at critical moments. We knew it was going to be tough today. I watch film on them, and I was really impressed. They’ve got some good wins, so we are really pleased with our team today.”
In addition to Hayden, Alabama had two others in double figures as sophomores Meoshonti Knight and Karyla Middlebrook finished with 16 and 12, respectively. Once again, sophomore Hannah Cook was a force on the boards as she roped in 10 to lead the team, and senior Nikki Hegstetter collected a career-high tying four blocks in her 36 minutes of action.
Cook was named the Nugget Classic Most Valuable Player, while Knight, a Central Catholic High School alum, was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Cook recorded her first career double-double in Alabama’s victory against Middle Tennessee and averaged 12 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals at the tournament. Knight averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and led Alabama with 3 assists per game at the Nugget Classic.
In Saturday’s contest against Utah Valley, the Wolverines scored first, but Alabama strung together a 13-3 run during the next four minutes to take a 13-5 lead in the opening quarter. Utah Valley pulled within two at the 2:45 mark; however, the Tide scored the final six points to take a 19-11 advantage heading into the second.
Alabama continued to lead throughout the next quarter, eventually reaching double digits following the three-point play from Middlebrook. Minutes later, the Tide took a 33-25 lead into halftime.
Utah Valley outscored Alabama, 14-5, during the opening five minutes of the third quarter to take its first lead since the beginning of the game, but the University of Alabama would bounce back with 10 unanswered points during a two-minute span to jump back in front and lead 48-43 heading into the final quarter.
The Wolverines cut the Tide edge to three on two occasions early in the fourth, but once again, Alabama pushed its lead to double digits after scoring eight unanswered points, six of which were from Hayden. Utah Valley would come no closer than seven the remainder of the contest.
For the game, the Tide hit 44.3 percent (27-61) of its attempts while limiting the Wolverines to 35 percent (21-60). The teams tied in rebounds with 37. Both squads shot the ball well from the free throw line as Alabama hit 85.7 percent (12-14) and Utah Valley connected on 88.2 percent (15-17).
In Friday’s 64-46 victory against Middle Tennessee, Knight had seven points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Alabama remains on the road for its next game, playing at UT Martin today in a 5:30 p.m. contest.