Alabama Travels to South Dakota State for WNIT Quarterfinals Sunday

BROOKINGS, S.D. - The University of Alabama women's basketball team will face South Dakota State for the first time in more than a decade, when the two teams square off in the Women's National Invitation Tournament Quarterfinals Sunday, March 27 at 5 p.m. CT in Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D. The contest will be broadcast on Midco Sports, with Tom Nieman and Brad Newitt on the call.

UA is 2-0 on the road – and 1-0 at home – in the 2022 iteration of the WNIT, while SDSU has hosted and won all three of its postseason games this season.

The Crimson Tide boasts a 20-13 record, including 6-10 in the Southeastern Conference and 6-5 in road games. The Tide has won eight of its last 10 games, including six of its last seven games. During that stretch, the Tide boasted a pair of Associated Press Top 25 wins.

In Alabama's last appearance, it defeated Houston for the second time this season, 79-64, last Thursday in Coleman Coliseum. The win helped the Crimson Tide to 20 wins, its first 20-win season since 2017-18, which also happens to be the last time the Tide reached the WNIT Quarterfinals.

Despite Alabama jumping out to a 24-12 lead on 66.7 percent shooting in the first quarter against Houston, it was a back-and-forth affair through the second quarter as the two teams went into halftime tied up at 40-40. Alabama forced a 22-6 run in the third quarter, helping the Crimson Tide maintain momentum until its eventual triumph.

Brittany Davis, who leads the conference in three-point field goals per game (2.7) and three-point field goals made (88), has led Alabama in scoring all season averaging 17.4 points per game. She and Megan Abrams, who is second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game, had mirroring 18-point performances to help knock off the Cougars.

Alabama's third leading scorer this season averaging 11.6 points per game, JaMya Mingo-Young tacked on 17 points in the Crimson Tide's third straight win.

Alabama and South Dakota State have met just three times in program history, with the Crimson Tide dropping all three contests in the series. The last time the two programs squared off was in December 2006, when the Jackrabbits ousted the Crimson Tide, 65-54, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama is less than a month removed from a 2-1 record at the 2022 SEC Tournament, one of just three teams to win at least two games at the event, joining the company of SEC Regular Season Champions South Carolina and SEC Tournament Champions Kentucky.

Alabama is currently boasting four straight games of shooting over 45.0 percent, a streak that also includes breaking the school record for single-season, three-point field goals made, which currently stands at 259.

About Alabama

Alabama will meet South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D., for the WNIT Quarterfinals Sunday, March 27 at 5 p.m. CT in Frost Arena.
- It will mark the third of four games this postseason that Alabama has had to compete on the road, along with at Troy (WNIT Round 1 on March 17) and at Tulane (WNIT Round 2 on March 21).
The Crimson Tide is 20-13 this season.
- The Tide went 6-10 in the Southeastern Conference.
- The Tide went 2-1 in the SEC Tournament.
  - The Crimson Tide was one of just three teams to win at least two games in Nashville. The other two teams were South Carolina (SEC Regular Season Champions) and Kentucky (SEC Tournament Champions).
- The Tide is 6-5 on the road, including 3-0 in nonconference contests on the road.
- The Tide has won eight of the last 10 games, including six of the last seven games.
  - That run features two top-25 wins, including defeating then-No. 12/8 Tennessee and then-No. 24/21 Georgia.
- That run features five wins on the road or at a neutral site.
Alabama is coming off a 79-64 win against Houston in the WNIT Round 3 Thursday, March 24 in Coleman Coliseum.
- It marked the first time the Crimson Tide played at home in 25 days.
- It marked the Crimson Tide's second win over Houston in 2021-22.
- Megan Abrams was recognized for eclipsing 1,000 career points at Tulane March 21 pregame.
With Alabama's win over Houston, the Crimson Tide reached its 15th 20-win season all time, and its first since the 2017-18 season.
- The 2017-18 season also happens to be the last time Alabama reached the WNIT Quarterfinals.
During the SEC schedule, the Crimson Tide shot 39.1 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from long range, while it averaged 65.2 points per game.
- In conference action, the Tide held its opponents to 45.0 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from long range, while its opponents averaged 72.5 points per game.
During the SEC schedule, three players averaged double-figure scoring in Brittany Davis (18.7), Megan Abrams (13.1) and JaMya Mingo-Young (11.3).
- Overall this season, Davis is ranked third in the conference in final points (575) and fourth in points per game (17.4).
- Overall this season, both Davis and Hannah Barber are ranked in the SEC top six in three-point field goals per game (2.7 and 2.2, respectively) and in three-point field goals made (88 and 69, respectively).
  - In fact, Davis is the SEC leader in both categories.
During the SEC schedule, JaMya Mingo-Young led the team in rebounding average (7.0), followed closely by Davis (6.9).
Megan Abrams was named to the 2022 SEC Community Service Team Wednesday, Feb. 23.
Brittany Davis was named to the 2022 All-SEC Second Team, for the first time in her career, Tuesday, March 1.

About South Dakota State

South Dakota State is 26-9 overall this season, including 17-1 in the Summit League.
- The Jackrabbits are 15-2 at home this season.
- The Jackrabbits have hosted every round of the WNIT in 2021-22.
The Crimson Tide and the Cougars have had one common opponent this season, both falling to Mississippi State.
- SDSU lost at State, 76-71, Nov. 12, and UA lost at home, 65-62, Jan. 6.
Four players are averaging double-figure scoring for South Dakota State, including Myah Selland (14.0), Paiton Burckhard (11.3), Tori Nelson (10.6) and Paige Meyer (10.4).
- Burckhard also leads the Jackrabbits in rebounding average 5.5.
South Dakota State is leading the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (39.0 percent), ranking 10th in the nation in three-point field goals (284). Its also ranked third in the nation in field-goal percentage (48.0) and ranked seventh in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (1.36).

Inside the Series

South Dakota State leads the all-time meetings with Alabama, 3-0, in a series that began in 2005.
The two teams have only ever met during the nonconference schedule, never in postseason, while the matchup has been contested twice in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and once in Brookings, S.D.
The Crimson Tide and the Jackrabbits haven't met since Dec. 28, 2006, when South Dakota State defeated Alabama, 65-54, at the Capstone.

Last Time Out

The University of Alabama women's basketball team defeated Houston in the Women's National Invitation Tournament Round of 16, 79-64, Thursday in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide improved to 20-13 (6-10) on the season, while the Cougars fell to 18-16 (8-9 American) in 2021-22.
UA earned its first 20-win season since 2017-18, which is also the last time the Crimson Tide reached the WNIT Quarterfinals.
Megan Abrams and Brittany Davis paced the Crimson Tide in scoring against the Cougars, recording matching 18-point performances.
Davis scored 10 of her 18 points in the first quarter. She ended the game making six of 15 attempts from the field, including a trio of three-point field goals. The veteran added eight rebounds and one steal in 37 minutes of action. Abrams, who was recognized for reaching 1,000 career points pregame, went 5-of-11 from the field, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, while she also went 6-of-8 from the line. The senior added a career-high six steals and two assists.
JaMya Mingo-Young rounded out the Crimson Tide's double-digit scorers with 17 points, draining a couple of three-point field goals and nine of her 12 attempts at the stripe.
Despite Alabama jumping out to a 24-12 lead on 66.7 percent shooting in the first quarter, it was a back-and-forth affair through the second quarter as the two teams went into halftime tied up at 40-40. Alabama went on a 22-6 run in the third quarter, helping the Crimson Tide maintain momentum until the end.
Alabama made 22 of its 46 attempts from the field for 47.9 percent shooting, including hitting 10 three-point field goals. It marked the 10th time this season UA has hit at least 10 shots from long range. The 10 3-pointers came just three days after the team reset the school record for single-season, three-point field goals made, which is now 259.

Alabama's History in the WNIT

The WNIT appearance is the Crimson Tide's eighth in program history and fourth under head coach Kristy Curry, while the Quarterfinals matchup Sunday, March 27 marks the Tide's 22nd game in the tournament.
In its most recent appearance in the tournament, Alabama won three straight games at home, before losing to Virginia Tech, 74-67, in the quarterfinals in Blacksburg, Va., on March 24, 2018. Alabama has reached as high as the WNIT Quarterfinals four times in program history, its best finish in the tournament (2002, 2017, 2018 and 2022).
Alabama is 14-7 in the WNIT.

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