GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 11th-seeded Alabama women’s basketball team (22-9) downed No. 14 seed Missouri (16-16), 65-48, in the first round of the 2026 Southeastern Conference Tournament Wednesday. The Crimson Tide advanced in the tournament for the first time since 2022 following its 17-point victory over the Tigers. 

Ace Austin paced Alabama with 14 points after shooting 4-of-6 (66 percent) from behind the arc as Diana Collins (13), Ta’Mia Scott (12) and Essence Cody (10) rounded out the team’s top scorers. Karly Weathers grabbed a team-high 16 rebounds to collect a career high and dished out a season-best six assists. 

Missouri was led by Jordana Reisma who scored 15 points while Grace Slaughter grabbed 11 rebounds. 

“Just really proud of our team for finding a way to win tonight when it wasn’t really our best shooting night. We had enough stops down the stretch that impacted winning plays in the moment that we needed to down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Credit Ace [Austin] for coming off the bench, Waiata Jennings and Alancia Ramsey, Joy [Egbuna] – our bench really helped us a little bit. Karly [Weathers] just found ways to impact winning, but to have four in double-figures it took a team effort with a lot of little things that made a big difference for us tonight.” 

Game Notes

• The Crimson Tide notched its first SEC Tournament victory since Alabama’s 2022 second round win over Georgia, 74-62 
• Essence Cody earned her second consecutive double-digit game, adding 10 points against the Tigers, marking 14 double-digit games on the season
• Karly Weathers grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for the Tide, marking the first time in 25 seasons an Alabama player had over 16 rebounds and six assists
• Ace Austin propelled Alabama through the fourth quarter, shooting four three-pointers over the span of three minutes
• Ta’Mia Scott tied her career high in blocks, collecting three for the Crimson Tide
• Four Alabama players tallied double-digit performances, marking the Tide’s fifth consecutive game with at least two players in double figures
• The Tide saw six players contribute to 19 points off the bench 
• Alabama shot 24-of-66 (36 percent) from the floor, 11-of-38 (29 percent) from deep and 6-of-11 (55 percent) from the free throw line
• In comparison, Missouri shot 15-of-51 (29 percent) from the floor, 4-of-18 (22 percent) from behind the arc and 14-of-19 (74 percent) from the charity stripe

How it Happened

• Alabama opened the first quarter with a 6-0 run, sparked by a pair of free throws by Essence Cody
• A 9-2 run by the Tigers gave Missouri a brief lead but a 5-0 surge from the Tide over the final 30 seconds gave Alabama a 13-9 advantage at the end of the quarter
• The Crimson Tide and Tigers traded runs throughout the second quarter, with UA’s largest coming from an 8-0 run 
• Missouri opened the second half with a 13-2 run, tying the game at 33-33 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter
• Alabama responded with a 6-2 run to take a four-point lead heading into the fourth (41-37)
• Ace Austin propelled Alabama in the fourth quarter, sinking four straight three-pointers to stretch the lead to 14 points
• Despite a late 5-0 run by the Tigers, Alabama secured a 65-48 victory to advance to the second round of the SEC Tournament

Up Next

• Alabama will face 6th-seeded Tennessee on Thursday, March 5
• Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network