Brittany Davis Picked Up Where She Left Off in Season-Opening Victory

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – She didn't miss a beat.

After opting to use her fifth and final season of eligibility to return to Tuscaloosa, graduate student guard Brittany Davis exploded for 26 points – in just three quarters of play – in Alabama's season-opening win over Alabama A&M.

"I felt good," Davis said. "It's a team thing. My teammates did a good job sharing the ball, so credit to them."

Of Davis' 26 points, 21 came from the three-point line. She made seven of her 10 attempts from beyond the arc, her most since shooting 8-for-9 from downtown in a game last February against Vanderbilt.

This performance isn't new territory for Davis, though.

Last season, Davis was named second team All-SEC and led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 17.7 points per game. She was the primary catalyst for Alabama's late-season surge which saw the Crimson Tide win eight of its last 11 games.

Now entering a new season surrounded by a host of new transfers and freshmen, Davis still stole the show.

"I think Brittany just does what she does no matter what," freshman Karly Weathers said. "It frees everybody up because they have to key in on what she's doing and they put so much of an emphasis on her."

She scored 18 of her points in the first half, including an astounding 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. She was getting all the looks she wanted from downtown as Alabama A&M failed time and time again to find a defender to get in her face.

"I think it's without the ball," Alabama head coach Kristy Curry said. "[Davis] does a great job of reading, taking what's there and countering what the defense gives her. It's a credit too to her teammates. I thought she hit some really tough shots too, but she does it every day. [...] She let the game come to her."

Davis' shooting prowess doesn't come as a surprise either. She picked up right where she left off from last season – leading the SEC in threes with 93 makes.

In the offseason, Davis was voted by the league's coaches as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection. Davis isn't concerned about her individual awards, though.

"I was excited [to be named first team All-SEC] but I just think about the team," Davis said. "Thinking about what's upcoming this season, I'm excited to get the group going."

After tonight's game, the coaches certainly seem to have made the a good choice.

As the season progresses and all of the new pieces continue to gel, Davis will certainly be leaned on to handle the scoring load. She has proved she's more than capable of doing so, and her performance will be crucial as Curry's players settle into their roles.

Davis will have a chance to follow up her star performance on Thursday night as the Crimson Tide head to New Orleans to take on Tulane – a team that beat Alabama in Coleman Coliseum last season.

"It's a new season," Davis said. "What we did last year doesn't matter anymore."

The game will begin at 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+.