Crimson Tide Women’s Basketball to Host Georgia Tech in WNIT Round of 16
3/21/2018 1:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Rematch of last season’s WNIT quarterfinal game on deck for Thursday at 7 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama (19-13) and Georgia Tech (20-13) will be meeting for the second time in as many seasons in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, this time in the round of 16 matchup. Thursday's game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT tip in Coleman Coliseum.
THE BROADCAST
• Thursday'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 Roger Hoover 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 round of 16 of the WNIT with an 81-60 victory over UCF on Sunday. The Crimson Tide had four finish in double figures, led by senior Hannah Cook with 17. She was joined by fellow senior Ashley Williams (16) and sophomores Jasmine Walker (15) and Jordan Lewis (14). Senior NeNe Bolton led the charge on the boards with eight rebounds, while Lewis dished out a game-high five assists.
• For the game, Alabama shot 50.0 percent (25-50) from the floor and took advantage of its 33 trips to the free throw line by connecting on 26 of those attempts (78.8 percent).
• The Tide holds an overall record of 10-6 in the WNIT following Sunday's victory.
• Alabama 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
• Thursday's game marks the seventh meeting between the Crimson Tide and Yellow Jackets. UA leads the series, 4-2.
• The first three games of the series between Alabama and Georgia Tech were played in 1982, 83 and 92 and picked back up in 2015.
• The Crimson Tide won the first three meetings, while the last three have alternated, going in favor of the home team.
• The Yellow Jackets won 70-58 in Atlanta on Dec. 18, 2015, while UA picked up a 67-65 victory on Dec. 17, 2016 in Tuscaloosa.
• The last meeting in the series came in the quarterfinals of the 2017 WNIT, where Georgia Tech prevailed 77-67 at home in McCamish Pavilion.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama enters Thursday's game with a 19-13 overall record and wrapped up SEC play with a 7-9 mark.
• UA is 13-5 in home games this season, which includes a 10-0 mark against non-conference foes.
• The Crimson Tide is led in scoring by senior Hannah Cook, who averages 12.0 points per game and in rebounding by fellow senior Ashley Williams, who averages 7.2 boards per contest. Sophomore Jordan Lewis leads the way in assists with 3.4 per game.
• As a team, Alabama is averaging 70.4 points in non-conference games, 14.3 more than its opponents, and is outrebounding the opposition 43.6-35.4.
• After finishing the 2016-17 season last in the SEC in free throw percentage, Alabama has jumped up to sixth, hitting 72.5 percent of its attempts as a team.
• In 25 of its 32 games this season, Alabama has had eight or more in the scoring column. In 10 of those 25 games, 10 or more scored for the Crimson Tide.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
• Georgia Tech stands at 20-13 overall and ended its Atlantic Coast Conference slate with a 6-10 mark.
• The Yellow Jackets advanced to Thursday's round of 16 WNIT game with wins over Bethune-Cookman (85-32) and UAB (91-47).
• Georgia Tech is averaging 88.0 points per game in WNIT play while holding its opponents to an average of 39.5 points per contest.
• The Yellow Jackets are led in scoring by sophomore Francesca Pan, who averages 14.4 points per game. Senior Zaire O'Neil tops the team in rebounds with 5.4 per contest, while freshman Kierra Fletcher hands out a team-high 2.3 assists per outing.
• Georgia Tech is under the direction of MaChelle Joseph, who is in her 15th season at the helm. She is the program's winningest head coach, guiding the Yellow Jackets to the postseason 11 times, including a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2012.
COMMON OPPONENTS
• Alabama and Georgia Tech have played a pair of common opponent in Georgia at NC State. Both teams were 0-2 against the opposition.
