Alabama
Texas
No. 8 Seed Alabama Prepares for Matchup Against Top-Seeded Texas in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32
3/23/2024 5:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Crimson Tide and Longhorns will tip off at 5:00 p.m. CT inside the Moody Center
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 8 seed Alabama women's basketball team took the floor for its second full practice at the Moody Center, as the team prepares to take on top-seeded Texas in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament second round contest. The Crimson Tide (24-9) and Longhorns (31-4) will tipoff at 5:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Alabama is coming off an 82-74 victory over Florida State in the first round this past Friday. Essence Cody led the Tide with a career outing of 20 points with 14 rebounds and four blocks, while also collecting her third double-double of the season.
Prior to practice, head coach Kristy Curry and student-athletes Sarah Ashlee Barker, Aaliyah Nye, Loyal McQueen and Essence Cody met with reporters. During its 90-minute practice session, the Tide worked on its scouting report for Sunday's contest.
Broadcast Information
- Sunday's contest is set to tipoff on ESPN with Tiffany Green (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) on the call
- The radio broadcast will air on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Roger Hoover on the call
Alabama in the NCAA Tournament
- Alabama earned its 13th NCAA Tournament berth on Selection Sunday
- The Crimson Tide made its third tournament appearance in the last four years
- Head Coach Kristy Curry will make her 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament, after capturing berths to the Big Dance at Purdue (2000-06) and Texas Tech (2011, 13) prior to UA's 2021 appearance
- Alabama is 17-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
- The Crimson Tide's deepest run came in 1994 with the team advancing to the Final Four
About Alabama
- The Crimson Tide has scored 2,433 points which ranks sixth in the Southeastern Conference
- The Tide is fourth in both three-point field goal percentage (.352) three-point field goal percentage defense (.293) in the conference
- Alabama is fifth in the SEC in field goal percentage (.437)
- Aaliyah Nye leads the conference in three-point field goals made with 104, which is third-best in the nation
- Essence Cody continues to pace the Tide in rebounds (6.5 rpg) and blocks (2.0 bpg)
- In her first season, Cody received SEC Freshman of the Week honor four times (Nov. 28, Jan. 30, Feb. 27 and March 4)
- Cody made all 33 starts for the Tide, averaging 22.6 minutes, 8.2 points per game and led the team with 215 rebounds (6.3 rpg)
- Sarah Ashlee Barker leads Alabama with 539 points (16.8 ppg) which ranks fifth in the SEC, while also ranking fourth in field goal percentage at 50.1 percent
- Barker recorded 25 games in double-digit scoring, including three double-doubles games
- Loyal McQueen leads the team at the stripe, shooting 79.5 percent from the free-throw line
- McQueen started in all 33 games in 2023-24, averaging 30.6 minutes per game and 8.3 points per game
- She scored in double figures in 21 games, including a season-high 16 against Vanderbilt (Feb. 5)
- Karly Weathers is finishing her sophomore season with averaging 22.3 minutes per game and 4.7 points per game
- She recorded double-digit points in four games, including her first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Arkansas (Feb. 1)
About Texas
- Texas enters Sunday's matchup as the winners of 13 of its last 14 games, including its active five-game winning streak
- The Longhorns won the Big 12 regular season and tournament crowns during their final season in the league
- UT is led by Big 12 Player of the Year, Madison Booker, who became the first freshman to ever win the award
- Booker leads the team in scoring (16.7 ppg), assists (5.2 apg) and free throw percentage (.878)
- Shaylee Gonzalez leads the team's three-point attack (1.6 3FG/gm)
- Defensively, the Longhorns surrender 57.5 points per game and hold opponents to 38.7 percent shooting from the field
For all the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaWBB on X, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
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