Lady Vols basketball begins a stretch of four ranked opponents in five games with a road matchup.
No. 20 Tennessee (12-3, 4-0 SEC) will play No. 21 Alabama (17-2, 3-2) at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Jan. 18 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Lady Vols had an open date on Jan. 15, giving them a week off after their 85-50 win over Arkansas. The Tide are coming off a 58-54 loss at Auburn on Jan. 15.
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Here’s what you need to know about this game.
Alabama ranks third in 3-pointers in SEC games
The Crimson Tide aren’t afraid to let it fly from deep, and they’re third in the conference in 3-point percentage (33.1%) in SEC games with 40 made 3-pointers.
The Lady Vols have done a better job defending the arc, allowing SEC opponents to shoot 18.6% from deep, second-best in the conference. Alabama ranks 12th at 33%.
But Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell won’t want this to turn into a shootout on the road — she wants the Lady Vols to focus on getting drives into the paint and getting to the rim.
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Diana Collins has been Alabama’s most accurate shooter (40%) with 24 made 3-pointers this season. Karly Weathers leads the team with 38 made 3-pointers on 37.6% shooting, and Jessica Timmons, the Tide’s leading scorer, has made 37 3-pointers on 37.8% shooting. Ta’Mia Scott has hit 26 shots from deep on 38.8% shooting.
Rebounding will be key for Tennessee
Alabama has not been the strongest rebounding team this season, and it will be crucial for the Lady Vols to win the battle on the boards, where they have struggled but still rank fifth in SEC games for rebounding margin (plus-4.75) while Alabama ranks 10th (minus-1.50).
The Lady Vols are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the SEC, but their defensive rebounding has faltered at times. They gave up 19 offensive rebounds to Arkansas, 17 to Mississippi State and 16 to Auburn. They can’t afford to give Alabama that many second chances.
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Karly Weathers on a hot streak
Although Weathers isn’t Alabama’s leading scorer, she has been a consistent producer and has had a string of strong outings.
The senior guard had seven points, eight rebounds and seven steals in the Crimson Tide’s upset of Kentucky on Jan. 8. She followed it with a season-high 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the Jan. 12 win at Missouri, shooting 69.2% from the field and 40% from deep. She also had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) with three assists and three steals in the loss to Auburn.
The Loretto, Tennessee, native is a do-it-all kind of player who leads the team in rebounding (6.4), assists (2.9) and steals (1.8) and averages 9.9 points. Containing Weathers will be just as important for the Lady Vols as slowing down Timmons, who averages 15.5 points.
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Lady Vols vs Alabama prediction
Tennessee 83, Alabama 74: Things are starting to come together for the Lady Vols, and Alabama struggled against Auburn’s defensive pressure. If Tennessee can be disciplined on the boards and with its shot selection, it’ll bring home its first ranked win of the season.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball vs Alabama prediction: Who will win SEC matchup
