Troy, Alabama women hear names called during NCAA Selection Show
TROY, Ala. – The Troy women’s basketball team will open play in the NCAA Tournament against No. 2 seed Texas A&M, the team learned Monday evening during a selection show party inside Trojan Arena. The Trojans earned the No. 15 seed in the Mercado Region after winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last Monday for the third time in their last five opportunities.
Due to COVID-19 forcing the 2021 NCAA Tournament to be played entirely in the state of Texas, Troy (22-5) and Texas A&M (23-2) will face off Monday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 – the location of the game will be announced shortly. The Trojans and Aggies are joined in the Mercado Region by No. 7 seed Iowa State and No. 10 seed Michigan State. The winner of each first round game will advance to the second round with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
Troy’ Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship was its third since 2016 and fourth overall league crown during that time period. The Trojans will be making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2017.
Under ninth-year head coach Chanda Rigby, Troy has won 20+ games in three straight seasons for the second time in program history, both of which have come during Rigby’s tenure. The Trojans are third in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 86.2 points per game and are led by Sun Belt Player of the Year Alexus Dye, who is the NCAA leader in double-doubles with 22 (16.2 ppg & 12.6 rpg).
Texas A&M is ranked No. 4 in the latest polls and was projected as a protentional No. 1 seed by ESPN’s Charlie Creme in his latest ESPN Bracketology. The SEC Regular Season Champions are 23-2 on the year, boasting nine victories over ranked opponents. The Aggies achieved their highest ranking in program history (No. 2) and were a perfect 13-0 at home. The meeting between Troy and Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament will be the first matchup between the two schools. General public tickets will not be available for the first and second rounds. The NCAA has limited attendance to just players and player guests.
SAN ANTONIO – Alabama women’s basketball earned an at-large bid in the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, its first since the 1999 season. The Crimson Tide heads to the Big Dance as a No. 7 seed and will take on 10th-seeded North Carolina in Monday’s first round. The game will tip at 11 a.m. CT on the Alamodome South Court on ESPN.
NCAA Tournament Notes
· Alabama is making its 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament and first since 1999.
· The Crimson Tide made eight consecutive trips from 1992-99 after its initial two in the 80s (1984, 88).
· Alabama is 16-10 in the NCAA tournament, with its deepest run coming in 1994 when it advanced to the Final Four.
· Head Coach Kristy Curry is taking her third team to the NCAA tournament after having made trips to the Big Dance at Purdue (2000-06) and Texas Tech (2011, 13).
The Series
The Tide and Tar Heels will be meeting for the 11th time in the series and second in as many years.
Alabama won the last matchup, 83-77, in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 15, 2019.
Ironically, the two teams met the last time the Tide played in the NCAA tournament, with the then-11th ranked Tar Heels winning, 70-56, in Chapel Hill in the second round of the 1999 tournament.
