Alabama
Timmons, Cody lead Alabama past Rhode Island 68-55 for NCAA Tournament win in 1st round
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jessica Timmons scored 21 points and Essence Cody added 19 as Alabama beat Rhode Island 68-55 Saturday in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson Tide (24-10) won a first-round tournament game for the third straight year by shooting 53.2% (25 of 47) and dominating inside, outscoring the Rams (28-5) 42-12 in the paint.
Other than Brooklyn Gray’s 3-pointer on the Rams’ first possession, sixth-seeded Alabama led throughout. The Tide outscored Rhode Island 14-1 over the first 7:26 of the second quarter to build a 30-14 lead.
Defense played a big role in Alabama’s run as 11th-seeded Rhode Island went just 1 for 19 over an 11-minute stretch in the first half. That included missing eight 3-point attempts and committing a pair of shot-clock violations.
“We were just wanting to keep them in front and contest every shot,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “So I thought our kids did a really nice job of staying consistent with the game plan. I thought that gave us a lot of energy when we started to see success with the tendencies and how we wanted to play.”
The Rams closed out the first half on a 9-1 run and cut Alabama’s lead to eight points at the break.
Cody drew her third foul just 72 seconds into the second half, sending the 6-foot-4 junior to the bench for nearly the remainder of the quarter. Rhode Island closed within four points three times in the third before the Crimson Tide used a 12-0 run to pull away.
Rams coach Tammi Reiss said point guard Sophia Vital picking up her third foul midway through the quarter hurt her team’s chances.
“What you’re hoping for is it’s a game in the fourth quarter,” she said. “You’re not playing catch-up.”
Timmons scored eight of her 11 third-quarter points during the run.
Diana Collins pitched in with 16 points, going 7 for 9 from the field, for Alabama
Palmire Mbu and Ines Debroise each scored 11 points for the Rams, who shot 32.8% (19 of 58).
Atypical Tide attack
Alabama entered Saturday averaging 22.7 3-point attempts per game. The Tide put up a season-low 10 on Saturday, but what that created was an opportunity to dominate inside.
“A lot of teams’ game plan is going to be to run us off the line, and if they do, we’re going to score in the paint,” Timmons said.
Alabama converted four of its 3-point attempts, including three by Cody, who made 10 of 30 heading into March Madness.
The three makes were a career high for the junior post player, who said they helped create chances for her teammates to attack the rim.
Rams set new standard
Rhode Island played in its second NCAA Tournament and first in 30 years Saturday, and Reiss hopes the Rams won’t have to wait that long for a third trip.
The seventh-year coach has led the program to four 20-win seasons out of the last five. She said she took inspiration from Danny Hurley, who had re-established the Rams men’s team before guiding UConn to back-to-back national titles.
“I was like, this is going to happen,” she said. “We promised Rhode Island this, and now we achieved it. Now can you sustain it? That’s the question, and that’s the next phase of Rhode Island basketball. … It’s been a process. A lot of ups, a lot of downs, but well worth the journey.”
Up next
Alabama will host Louisville in a second-round game on Monday, with the winner advancing to Fort Worth, Texas.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) – The YMCA of South Alabama held a Healthy Kids Day at Spanish Fort Town Center Park.
Saturday’s event featured games and demonstrations, along with interactive activities featuring police and fire vehicles.
“I think just seeing so many organizations come together that serve kids, and just seeing kids have fun,” said Gwen Summer, CEO of the YMCA of South Alabama.
Marissa Rennaker, director of development for the YMCA of South Alabama, said the event exposed children to new activities.
“I think it’s been seeing all the kids laugh and try different things that they probably haven’t tried before,” Rennaker said. “There was a big group doing pickleball and yoga. We had ballet earlier, so just getting them out and exposed to things, I think it’s been great.”
The event was designed to kick off a healthy, active summer.
The YMCA of South Alabama is located at 27080 Pollard Road in Daphne.
Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.
Former Alabama star Will Anderson Jr. has reportedly signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Houston Texans, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Anderson instantly solidified himself as one of the top defensive players in football throughout his rookie campaign in 2023. The star defensive end was named as the Rookie of the Year in 2023, as Anderson’s extension will officially keep him in Houston long-term, as well as make him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Anderson recorded an impressive 12 sacks on the Texans’ defensive line in 2025, as the former Alabama star has made history following his head turning extension with Houston.
Anderson was nothing short of a superstar throughout his time at Alabama. Houston drafted the talented lineman with the third overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, as Anderson was widely regarded as one of the top overall selections from his class.
The former Crimson Tide superstar has officially inked a massive extension with the Texans, as Anderson will undoubtedly continue playing a critical role on Houston’s defensive line over the coming seasons.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn said that No. 4 Texas would be “hungry” against the No. 11Crimson Tide coming off its first series loss of the season to Texas A&M.
The Longhorns certainly were, as they pounced all over Vaughn’s team, striking out 17 Alabama batters en route to a 10-2 win.
“The story of the game was they just kind of kicked our tail in every phase tonight,” Vaughn said.
Alabama starter Tyler Fay had been elite over his past four starts, dating back to his complete-game no-hitter against Florida, allowing just six earned runs over the 26.0 innings pitched in those games. That changed instantly on Friday evening, as leadoff batter Aiden Robbins opened the game with a double and catcher Carson Tinney took him deep for a two-run blast moments later.
Texas added a third run in the first off an Ethan Mendoza RBI double, setting the tone for a dominant day. Alabama did not record a hit until the fourth inning as Longhorn ace Dylan Volantis tore through batters, striking out 12 over six innings.
Fay ended up going 5.1 innings, just the second time he did not make it through the sixth. The other, against Auburn, was only due to Vaughn wanting to keep his pitch count down in the wake of the no-hitter. He allowed season-highs of seven earned runs and 12 hits in the loss.
The Longhorns added a run each in the third and the fifth, before Alabama put the slightest amount of pressure on Texas in the top of the sixth. Bryce Fowler and Justin Lebron scored on the basepaths off an error and a wild pitch, respectively, to cut the Texas lead to three runs.
“You’ve got to find ways to score,” Vaughn said. “Those two guys just created two runs for us, and did a great job creating those runs and we crawl back in at 5-2, and it’s like, ‘Let’s go back to work…’ So thought we had that chance in those middle innings.”
The Longhorns effectively put the game to bed in the next frame, responding with three runs as Fay was relieved by Connor Lehman. Texas would add two more runs on the day, with the only silver lining coming in the fact that Alabama avoided a run-rule.
The Crimson Tide has now lost four straight SEC games after winning three consecutive series. Zane Adams takes the mound with the series on the line on Saturday, in a game that has been moved up to 12 p.m. CT due to anticipated rain in Austin.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and Blue Sky for the latest news.
Follow
-
Technology5 minutes agoThe future of local TV news has taken a Trumpian turn
-
World11 minutes agoPope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
-
Politics17 minutes agoTrump renews bridge, power plant threat against Iran in push for deal, mocks ‘tough guy’ IRGC
-
Health23 minutes agoLoneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals
-
Sports29 minutes agoESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd
-
Technology35 minutes agoChinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
-
Business41 minutes agoCivil case against Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ movie producers advances toward a trial
-
Entertainment47 minutes agoKarol G at Coachella was a global hit. Yet other foreign acts fear touring the U.S.