Alabama women Thinking Pink for Vandy game

TUSCALOOSA | When the Vanderbilt Commodores roll into town today to square off against the University of Alabama women’s basketball team at 2 p.m., the color pink will be highlighted more than the teams’ crimson and white or black and gold.

Taking a page from Sarah Patterson and the Alabama gymnastics team’s annual “Power of Pink” meet, Alabama (8-15, 1-7) declared today’s contest the “Think Pink” game. “Think Pink” is a global, unified effort established by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association to assist in raising breast cancer awareness.

Patterson said she is excited to see how the “Power of Pink” initiative has grown.

“We have had 15,000 people come to the Power of Pink meets each of the past three years, and it has grown into a nationwide initiative,” Patterson said about the movement to increase breast cancer awareness.

“With the WBCA having over 800 schools — both college and high school — participate this year, I think it’s just great the women’s basketball team will have its first Think Pink game. It’s such a great cause, it’s such a vital cause.”

Alabama coaches and administrators will wear pink and fans are encouraged to as well.

Vanderbilt (17-6, 6-2) is ranked No. 28 in the AP poll and is third in the SEC behind Tennessee and LSU.

The Commodores have two players averaging in double digits, with Christina Wirth scoring 13.3 a game and Liz Sherwood scoring 12.5.

Vanderbilt has dominated the series with Alabama, 21-11, including eight of the last nine. The Commodores handed the Tide a 40-point loss last year in Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt also comes in riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak, with a 30-point thrashing of South Carolina on Thursday.

On the opposite end, Alabama owns a seven-game losing streak and continues to fight the injury bug.

The Crimson Tide’s third leading scorer, Camilla Blands, will miss an indefinite amount of time due to a left hand injury. Blands is the fifth player to miss some if not all of the season to this point due to injury.

Alyson Butler has not played in a game this season, and Katie Hancock just returned from a knee injury four games ago. Caitlin Hollifield missed a nine-game stretch during the non-conference schedule, and Daleisha Carn was lost for the season in the 10th game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.

Given all of the Tide’s misfortune this year it’s understandable for Smith to grimace each time a player hits the floor after contact. However, given all she and her team have faced this season Smith remains optimistic.

“It’s just important to keep our spirits high and stay positive and get better every single day,” Smith said

One reason for Smith’s positive outlook is the rejuvenated play of freshman forward Tierney Jenkins. Jenkins has led the team in scoring for most of the season, but found out how tough the SEC can be when she failed to reach double digits in scoring in four of the first five conference games.

Jenkins has found her scoring touch recently, averaging 12.7 points over the past three games.

Alabama will hit the road for a two-game stretch playing at Auburn on Thursday and at Kentucky on Sunday Feb. 17.