Alabama
UCF
Alabama Women’s Basketball Set to Host UCF in WNIT Round of 32
3/17/2018 11:12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Crimson Tide and Knights will tip at 2 p.m. CT Sunday in Coleman Coliseum
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama (18-13) will host UCF (22-10) in the second round of the 2018 Women's National Invitation Tournament on Sunday in Coleman Coliseum. Game time is set for 2 p.m. CT.
THE BROADCAST
• Sunday's game will be available to watch on RollTide.com as well as Facebook Live.
• The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 93.3 FM in Tuscaloosa with Chris Adams-Wall on the broadcast.
OPENING TIP
• Alabama is making its seventh appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament and third in a row. This is the first time under head coach Kristy Curry that the Crimson Tide has been the automatic qualifier out of the Southeastern Conference as the last two berths were as an at-large selection.
• Alabama advanced to the second round of the WNIT with a 69-56 victory over Southern on Wednesday. Senior Ashley Williams recorded her fifth double-double in the last six games, finishing with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, while senior Hannah Cook chipped in 15 points. Sophomore Jordan Lewis led the way in assists with five to go along with her 11 points and four boards.
• The Tide holds an overall record of 9-6 in the WNIT following Wednesday's victory.
• The Tide has advanced to the quarterfinals twice in program history, making it to the round of eight a season ago and in 2002 when it was a 32-team field.
• Alabama senior Ashley Williams was recognized as the SEC Player of the Week in addition to earning a spot on ncaaW's Starting Five on Feb. 19 after recording a pair of double-doubles in the wins at No. 11 Tennessee and at home against Auburn.
THE SERIES
• Alabama has prevailed in all five meetings in the series against UCF, which includes three games in Tuscaloosa and two on the road in Orlando.
• The last time the two teams met, the Crimson Tide edged out the Knights by two, 64-62, on the road on Dec. 14, 2009.
• The year before, UA and UCF met in Tuscaloosa, which resulted in a 67-53 victory for the Tide on Dec. 3, 2008. Other meetings took place on Dec. 19, 2003 (63-41), Nov. 24, 1995 (87-58) and Feb. 5, 1995 (95-63).
• This will be the first meeting between the two in the postseason.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama enters Sunday's game with an 18-13 overall record and wrapped up SEC play with a 7-9 mark.
• UA is 12-5 in home games this season, which includes a 9-0 mark against non-conference foes.
• The Crimson Tide is led in scoring by senior Hannah Cook, who averages 11.8 points per game and in rebounding by fellow senior Ashley Williams, who averages 7.3 boards per contest. Sophomore Jordan Lewis leads the way in assists with 3.4 per game.
• As a team, Alabama is averaging 69.9 points in non-conference games,14.0 more than its opponents, and is outrebounding the opposition 43.1-36.6.
• After finishing the 2016-17 season last in the SEC in free throw percentage, Alabama has jumped up to sixth, hitting 72.1 percent of its attempts as a team.
• In 24 of its 31 games this season, Alabama has had eight or more in the scoring column. In nine of those 24 games, 10 or more scored for the Crimson Tide.
SCOUTING UCF
• UCF stands at 22-10 overall and ended its American Athletic Conference slate with a 12-4 mark.
• The Knights advanced to Sunday's second round WNIT game with a 65-60 overtime victory against Jacksonville on Wednesday.
• UCF is led in scoring by redshirt senior Zakiya Saunders, who averages 15.9 points. The Knights are led in rebounding by redshirt junior Nyala Shuler (7.1 rpg) and in assists by sophomore Korneila Wright (4.3 apg).
• UCF is under the direction of second-year head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. She led the Knights to their best season since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2016-17, finishing the season with a 21-12 overall record. The 21 wins was 14 more than the squad had the year prior, tying for the second-best turnaround among women's Division I basketball teams.
COMMON OPPONENTS
• Alabama and UCF have played four common opponents this season in Elon, Georgia Southern, SMU and Jacksonville. The Tide is 3-1 in those games, while the Knights are 4-1. Both teams recorded a loss against Elon.
