Alabama Women's Basketball overcame a back-and-forth battle with Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon, earning an 85-78 SEC victory. The Crimson Tide improved to 18-3 overall and 4-3 in the SEC, while the Bulldogs dropped to 15-6 and 2-5 in conference play.

Five Alabama players ended in double figures, with Jessica Timmons leading the way with a career-high 28 points on 3-for-6 (50 percent) from deep and 11-for-11 (100 percent) from the free throw line. Diana Collins (15), Karly Weathers (13), Ace Austin (10), and Naomi Jones (10) were the Tide's highest scorers.

Favour Nwaedozi led Mississippi State with 19 points and seven rebounds. Madison Francis finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 steals. Jaylah Lampley finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds.

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First Quarter: Alabama's Hot Start 

Mississippi State won the opening tip and set the tone early with physical defense, forcing Alabama into a turnover on its first possession. The Crimson Tide responded quickly, as Diana Collins converted a backdoor layup off a feed from Karly Weathers to get Alabama on the board.

Alabama began to find its rhythm midway through the quarter behind strong ball movement and perimeter shooting. Ta’Mia Scott knocked down a corner three, followed by another from Collins during an 8–0 Alabama run that forced Mississippi State to call a timeout with 6:48 remaining.

Despite the surge, the Bulldogs stayed within striking distance by attacking the paint and capitalizing at the free-throw line. Naomi Jones provided a defensive spark with multiple blocks, but Mississippi State found ways to score inside late in the quarter. Essence Cody, returning to the floor, drilled a top-of-the-key three, while Ace Austin answered with a corner three to keep Alabama narrowly in front, 15–14, after one.

Second Quarter: Mississippi State Responds Behind Defense 

The second quarter featured momentum swings on both ends. Mississippi State opened in a 1–3–1 zone, but Alabama adjusted effectively. Collins knocked down another corner three off a Weathers assist, while Jones continued to control the paint defensively with her interior presence.

Alabama struggled at times with efficiency, missing several close-range opportunities, allowing Mississippi State to stay close behind steady post scoring. Jones finished through contact for an and-one, and Cody added a post layup late in the half as Alabama continued to find production inside.

The Crimson Tide closed the half on a high note when Jessica Timmons buried a three from the top of the key at the buzzer, giving Alabama a 35–31 advantage heading into halftime.

Third Quarter: Timmons and Collins Keep Alabama In Front

Mississippi State opened the third quarter aggressively, scoring on putbacks and attacking off missed shots. Alabama responded with steady guard play, as Timmons knocked down a jumper in the paint and later converted a step-back three following a crossover that energized the bench.

Collins continued to make plays offensively, hitting a corner three and converting a driving layup as Alabama attempted to stretch the lead. Mississippi State answered with timely perimeter shooting and continued to pressure Alabama defensively, forcing turnovers and creating fast-break chances.

Despite the back-and-forth nature of the quarter, Alabama maintained control entering the fourth, even after a potential buzzer-beating three from Collins was waved off at the horn.

Fourth Quarter: The Karly Weathers Takeover Show

The fourth quarter belonged to Karly Weathers.

After a layup from Jones opened the final frame, Weathers found her rhythm from beyond the arc. She drilled a top-of-the-key three, followed it with a driving layup, and then buried another three moments later to give Alabama much-needed separation.

Weathers wasn’t done. Following a steal, she converted an and-one opportunity, electrifying the crowd and pushing Alabama’s lead further out. Her confidence down the stretch proved pivotal as Mississippi State struggled to match Alabama’s shot-making.

The Bulldogs continued to fight, scoring off turnovers and second-chance opportunities, but Alabama answered at the free-throw line and in transition. Ace Austin added a coast-to-coast layup, while Timmons calmly knocked down free throws in the closing minutes to seal the victory.

Alabama’s balanced scoring effort and late-game execution ultimately made the difference, as the Crimson Tide held off Mississippi State in a physical, hard-fought SEC matchup.

Alabama Womens' Basketball Head Coach Kristy Curry shared her thoughts about the 85-78 win.

I really appreciate our crowd coming out on a really bad weather day. So to everyone that came out, it was amazing even the Mississippi State fans that came over. Just safe travels to everybody getting back home. That was a huge win that can be a separator a little bit. I think they had a NET ranking of 34 and us at 30. They're an NCAA Tournament team. They're really good. They're dominant on the glass and in transition, and they are so big. That's just a huge resume win for us today against a good team.

SEC Slate (Sunday):

South Carolina dominated and handed Vanderbilt its first loss of the season, leading comfortably throughout thanks to a balanced attack and forcing numerous turnovers.

Oklahoma held off Auburn in a close battle, with Aaliyah Chavez leading the way; the Sooners used a strong late run to pull away down the stretch

Missouri got a big home win over Texas A&M, with Grace Slaughter pacing the Tigers and Missouri maintaining a lead most of the way.

The Crimson Tide will look to carry their momentum from Sunday's win over Mississippi State this Thursday as they travel to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs. Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Alabama Players with Double-Digit Points: 

Jessica Timmons: 28 points

Diana Collins: 15 points

Karly Weathers: 13 points

Naomi Jones/Ace Austin:10 points

Alabama Stat Leaders:

Points: Jessica Timmons - 28

Assists: Karly Weathers - 6

Rebounds: Diana Collins and Ace Austin - 6

Steals: Karly Weathers - 5

Blocks: Naomi Jones - 6

Plus/Minus: Naomi Jones - (+) 23

Minutes: Karly Weathers - 39

Chase Brumfield is the morning producer and writer for Tide 100.9. He is a recent graduate from Mississippi State University as a Communications Major. Follow Chase for more Alabama content on X at @cb3864.