The Alabama Crimson Tide women’s basketball team had its best win of the season this past week.
After winning 15 of its first 16 games, the Crimson Tide scored their highest-ranked victory of the season when they defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, 64-51, last Thursday at Coleman Coliseum behind 24 points from Jessica Timmons and 16 from Diana Collins.
The Tide followed it up with a 74-63 win at Missouri in Columbia on Monday night. Karly Weathers’ 23 points led Alabama against the Tigers while Timmons added 16 points and Ta’Mia Scott had 15. Timmons is Alabama’s leading scorer this season with 15.4 points per game.
With the win over Missouri, Alabama improved to 17-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Tide’s lone loss this season came at SEC powerhouse South Carolina on New Year’s Day. The win over Kentucky was Alabama’s highest-ranked victory since 1997, according to Alabama Sports Information.
The momentum inside the program is high. Coach Kristy Curry’s team was one play away from advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 1998. The Tide fell in overtime to No. 4 seed Maryland despite a career performance from Sarah Ashlee Barker, who had a school record 45 points.
Alabama’s 14-0 start this season was also its best in program history.
Where is Alabama women’s basketball ranked in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after upset win over Kentucky?
Alabama is ranked No. 21 in the Week 11 Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll, up three spots from last week. Only Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers (up six spots to No. 6) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (up four spots to No. 15) had bigger jumps in the Coaches Poll.
The Crimson Tide are ranked one spot below Tennessee and one spot ahead of Notre Dame.
Who’s No. 1 in Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll?
The full top 25 rankings in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll for Jan. 13 are below, and it’s a familiar name at the top of the polls.
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UConn | 17-0 | 775 | 31 | 1 | – | 1/1 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 17-1 | 733 | 0 | 3 | +1 | 2/3 |
| 3 | UCLA | 15-1 | 705 | 0 | 4 | +1 | 3/4 |
| 4 | Texas | 18-1 | 683 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 2/4 |
| 5 | Vanderbilt | 17-0 | 654 | 0 | 6 | +1 | 5/21 |
| 6 | LSU | 16-2 | 574 | 0 | 12 | +6 | 5/12 |
| 7 | Michigan | 14-2 | 565 | 0 | 9 | +2 | 7/15 |
| 8 | TCU | 16-1 | 545 | 0 | 10 | +2 | 7/12 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 16-2 | 513 | 0 | 7 | -2 | 7/20 |
| 10 | Louisville | 16-3 | 499 | 0 | 11 | +1 | 10/22 |
| 11 | Maryland | 16-2 | 428 | 0 | 8 | -3 | 6/11 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 14-3 | 407 | 0 | 5 | -7 | 5/12 |
| 13 | Iowa | 14-2 | 402 | 0 | 14 | +1 | 12/23 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 16-1 | 376 | 0 | 15 | +1 | 14/NR |
| 15 | Ohio State | 15-2 | 340 | 0 | 19 | +4 | 15/NR |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 16-3 | 339 | 0 | 17 | +1 | 13/17 |
| 17 | Baylor | 15-3 | 289 | 0 | 16 | -1 | 10/21 |
| 18 | Texas Tech | 18-0 | 275 | 0 | 20 | +2 | 18/NR |
| 19 | Iowa State | 14-3 | 212 | 0 | 13 | -6 | 10/19 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 12-3 | 205 | 0 | 22 | +2 | 9/22 |
| 21 | Alabama | 17-1 | 179 | 0 | 24 | +3 | 21/NR |
| 22 | Notre Dame | 12-4 | 94 | 0 | 25 | +3 | 13/25 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 13-5 | 77 | 0 | 18 | -5 | 8/23 |
| 24 | Princeton | 14-1 | 76 | 0 | NR | +2 | 24/NR |
| 25 | West Virginia | 14-3 | 42 | 0 | NR | +2 | 20/NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 21 USC; No. 23 Washington;
Others Receiving Votes
Illinois 24; Nebraska 21; USC 19; Washington 12; Duke 5; Oregon 2; Oklahoma State 2; South Dakota State 1; Minnesota 1; Arizona State 1;
Top rivals, Iron Bowl of women’s basketball on tap for Alabama
Alabama’s next game is a trip to Auburn (12-6, 1-3) and Neville Arena. Tipoff for Alabama-Auburn is 8 p.m. CT Thursday. The game will be televised on SEC Network. Auburn is unranked.
The Crimson Tide return to Coleman Coliseum on Sunday when the 20th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (12-3) visit Tuscaloosa for a 1 p.m. tipoff. Alabama-Tennessee will be also be shown on SEC Network.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama women’s basketball rises in Coaches Poll after big upset
