Alabama Women's Basketball Turns Attention to Postseason after Tough Loss to Ole Miss

It was an emotional loss for the Crimson Tide on senior night, but the team can now prepare knowing it has the SEC and NCAA Tournaments in the near future.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A lot was on the line for Alabama women's basketball in its regular-season finale against Ole Miss on Sunday. It was senior night, SEC Tournament seeding was at stake and Alabama had yet to lose three games in a row all season.

It was a competitive game that never reached double digits and came down to the last play: a Jada Rice drive to the basket that was ultimately blocked by Ole Miss' Tyia Singleton.

And just like that, the Rebels won 57-55.

"I want everyone to understand it didn't come down to the last minute," Alabama head coach Kristy Curry said after the game. "There were plays before that we should've made, and when life doesn't go your way, we get to play a simple game. 

"Again, it's not okay today, but I think we all need to understand how special this group that is to my right and left are."

Curry was accompanied by the seniors of the team: Brittany Davis and Hannah Barber on one side, Megan Abrams and Jada Rice on the other. It was obvious that everyone, including Curry herself, had just got done crying. A part of it was because the seniors were honored after the game, but it was clear the loss had taken its toll on them.

Davis only had 11 points on 14 shots; Barber had 8 points, three assists, and three turnovers; Abrams only played five minutes and didn't score.

Rice arguably had the best game for the Crimson Tide with six points, seven rebounds and two blocks, but the final play of the game had Rice in a negative light.

Regarding the last play with about 3 seconds left, Barber inbounded the ball to Rice, who then turned and drove to the basket and did a spin move into a jump shot inside the paint.

"It was going to Brittany," Curry said about who was supposed to get the ball. "And Jada was supposed to stop and hand it off to Hannah, who was wide open."

When Rice was asked about the last play, she said that she thought it wasn't enough time left for anything else, leading to her taking the shot herself.

"It's something we just gotta work on," Rice said.

Alabama came into the game with a chance to be the fourth seed and receive a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, but after the loss, the Crimson Tide will head into the tournament as the No. 6 seed and play the winner of Kentucky and Florida.

That said, the Tide is finding peace in the fact that basketball is not over. This is an NCAA Tournament team: according to NCAA Women's Bracketology by Charlie Creme, Alabama was an 8-seed in the big dance coming into the game. While it may have a lower seed after losing its final three regular season games, the Tide will not have to wait for an invitation.

Curry was also optimistic about Alabama's chances in the SEC Tournament, citing how the Tide was an 11-seed last season and made it all the way to the quarterfinals. It also helps that the Tide's first opponent will either be Kentucky, who it beat 72-65 on the road, or Florida, where Alabama turned the ball over 20 times and only lost by four points.

"This group had an amazing run last year that they can draw from," Curry said. "and with the NCAA Tournament, we're going dancing. We're not sitting here wondering for the first time in a very long time.

"I think that the future is bright because of the foundation that these four have laid."

See also: Alabama Women's Basketball Loses to Ole Miss, 57-55

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