LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) 鈥� Jessica Timmons scored 21 points and Essence Cody added 19 as Alabama beat Rhode Island 68-55 Saturday in the first round of .
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鈥檚 3-pointer on the Rams鈥� 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淲e were just wanting to keep them in front and contest every shot,鈥� Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. 鈥淪o 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.鈥�
The Rams closed out the first half on a 9-1 run and cut Alabama鈥檚 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鈥檚 chances.
鈥淲hat you鈥檙e hoping for is it鈥檚 a game in the fourth quarter,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not playing catch-up.鈥�
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.
鈥淎 lot of teams鈥� game plan is going to be to run us off the line, and if they do, we鈥檙e going to score in the paint,鈥� 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 team before guiding UConn to back-to-back national titles.
鈥淚 was like, this is going to happen,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e promised Rhode Island this, and now we achieved it. Now can you sustain it? That鈥檚 the question, and that鈥檚 the next phase of Rhode Island basketball. … It鈥檚 been a process. A lot of ups, a lot of downs, but well worth the journey.鈥�
Up next
Alabama will host Louisville in a second-round game on Monday, with the winner advancing to Fort Worth, Texas.
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