Alabama
Rhode Island
No. 6 Seed Alabama Overpowers No. 11 Rhode Island in NCAA Tournament Opener, 68-55
3/21/2026 6:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Crimson Tide advances to the Round of 32 for the third straight year
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 6 seed Alabama defeated No. 11 seed Rhode Island, 68-55, in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday inside the KFC Yum! Center. The win marked the third consecutive year the Crimson Tide has advanced to the Round of 32.
Jessica Timmons (21) and Essence Cody (19) led Alabama (24-10), as the duo combined for 40 of the Tide's 68 total points. Timmons, along with Karly Weathers added six rebounds apiece to pace the team.Â
Palmire Mbu and Ines Debroise scored 11 points each to lead three Rhode Island (28-5) players who reached double figures in the losing effort.Â
Head Coach Kristy Curry CommentsÂ
"I think today our kids just showed a lot of resilience. We were able to weather some runs. We were intentional when those happened. We did it with a lot of toughness and grit that we pride ourselves on. I'm really proud of the way– I think they were trying to really defend the three. So we found other ways to dominate the paint and get to the free-throw line.
"It's what we're prepared for. We're built for this, having been in our league, and we see this a lot. I thought our kids did a nice job of countering their decision-making offensively down the stretch.
Game Notes
- With its win over the Rams, Alabama advanced to the NCAA Round of 32 for the third consecutive year
- Essence Cody (19 points) recorded her 16th double-digit scoring game of the season, while Diana Collins (16 points) collected her 12th
- With her team-high 21 points, Jessica Timmons tallied her 12th game on the year with 20-plus pointsÂ
- The Crimson Tide bested the Rams in the paint, scoring 42 points compared to the URI's 12
- Alabama shot 25-of-47 (53 percent) from the floor, 4-of-10 (40 percent) from deep and 14-of-20 (70 percent) from the free throw line
- In comparison, Rhode Island shot 19-of-58 (39 percent) from the floor, 6-of-23 (26 percent) from behind the arc and 11-of-14 (79 percent) from the charity stripeÂ
How it Happened
- The Crimson Tide and the Rams traded baskets early in the first quarter, with Rhode Island twice coming back to tie the gameÂ
- Alabama then pulled ahead, building a five-point lead midway through the period
- Despite Alabama's lead, the Rams closed the gap to three by the end of the quarter, capping off a final stretch that ended 16-13
- Alabama opened the second quarter on a run, holding Rhode Island to just one point until the final two minutes while adding 14 of their own
- Momentum shifted in the final two minutes, as the Rams scored nine points and limited Alabama to just one, closing the half with a score of 31-23
- The Rams closed the gap to within four points twice early in the third quarter, but a 17-3 run by the Crimson Tide stretched the lead to 18, 53-35
- Essence Cody led Alabama in the fourth, scoring nine of the team's 15 points
- Alabama and Rhode Island traded baskets in the final frame, with the Rams outscoring the Crimson Tide 20-15Â
Up Next
- Alabama will face No. 3 seed Louisville in the NCAA Round of 32 on Monday, March 23
- Television and tip times will be announced at a later time
