Alabama
Georgia Tech
Alabama Women’s Basketball Heads to Atlanta to Face Georgia Tech in WNIT Quarterfinals
3/24/2017 4:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game to tip in McCamish Pavilion at 1 p.m. CT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team (22-13) hits the road for the first time during its Women's National Invitation Tournament run and will face Georgia Tech (20-14) in the quarterfinal round on Sunday. Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT in McCamish Pavilion.
THE BROADCAST
Sunday's game can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Roger Hoover calling the action. There is no video stream available.
OPENING TIP
Alabama heads into Sunday's game with a 22-13 overall record after advancing past Tulane in the third round, 72-64. The Crimson Tide is making its second straight appearance in the WNIT and sixth overall. Alabama also competed in the tournament in 2011 and in three consecutive seasons from 2000-02. UA holds an overall record of 8-5 in WNIT games.
Sunday's trip to the WNIT quarterfinals marks the Tide's second trip in program history and first since the field was expanded to 64 teams. Alabama advanced to the quarterfinals in 2002 before falling to Michigan State, 79-61.
Alabama and Georgia Tech are meeting for the sixth time overall and second time this season. In the earlier meeting on Dec. 17, the Tide came away with a two-point victory, 67-65, in Coleman Coliseum.
The Crimson Tide reached the 20-win milestone on Thursday, March 16 in its victory over Mercer, marking the first time Alabama has won 20 wins in a season since the 1998-99 campaign.
Junior Ashley Williams has paved the way for Alabama in the WNIT, averaging 16.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Freshman Ashley Knight set the Alabama single season block record on March 1 in the Tide's victory over Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament. Knight now has 87 for the season, which is already eighth most in a career. She's ranks 15th in the nation, and first in the SEC, in overall blocks and 22nd nationally and first in the league on blocks per game at 2.5.
Both junior Hannah Cook and Ashley Williams scored their 1,000th career point at the SEC tournament. Cook recorded hers in Thursday's game against Tennessee, while Williams followed up the next day in Friday's contest versus Kentucky.
Jordan Lewis was selected as the Southeastern Conference Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press. She is the first freshman from Alabama to earn the award since its inception in 1997.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech enters Sunday's game with a 20-14 overall record, which includes a 15-4 mark at home. The Yellow Jackets have played each of their WNIT games at home, defeating Jacksonville (71-55), UCF (63-51) and Middle Tennessee (70-57).
The team is led in scoring by junior Zaire O'Neil, who averages 12.4 points per game. She is followed by ACC Freshman of the Year Francesca Pan at 11.4 points per contest. Sophomore Kaylan Pugh leads Georgia Tech in rebounds with 5.4 rebounds per game, while junior Imani Tilford leads the way in assists at 3.2 per outing.
As a team, the Yellow Jackets are averaging 68.2 points, which is the exact same scoring average as Alabama. Georgia Tech is also very successful at getting to the line, however the team average from the stripe is 61.8 percent (465-752).
Georgia Tech is under the direction of MaChelle Joseph, who is in her 14th season as head coach of the Yellow Jackets. Joseph, the winningest coach is Georgia Tech history, has guided the Yellow Jackets to 10 postseason appearances and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2012. Joseph is no stranger to the SEC either as she spent 1997-2001 on Auburn's staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Joe Ciampi. She, like Alabama head coach Kristy Curry, assistant coach Shereka Wright and director of operations and video Grant Fausset, also has ties to Purdue as Joseph was a four-year starter for the Boilermakers from 1989-92.
