Alabama Women’s Basketball Opens Rainbow Wahine Invitational Against Cincinnati

The Alabama women’s basketball team (7-3) will play its first of three games at the Bank of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine Invitational when it takes on Cincinnati (7-3) on Friday. The game is slated to tip at 9:30 p.m. CT in the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Crimson Tide and Bearcats will be meeting for the second time in program history and first since Dec. 6, 1991. Alabama won the previous meeting, which took place in Murfreesboro, Tenn., by a score of 100-80.

The Tide has won two of its last three games, most recently topping Virginia in doubles overtime, 73-70. Four players are averaging 10 points or more on the season, led by sophomore Daisha Simmons’ 13.7 point contribution per game. She is followed by junior Shafontaye Myers (12.4 ppg), junior Jasmine Robinson (12.0 ppg) and senior Meghan Perkins (10.3 ppg). Senior Alicia Mitcham has been the team’s top rebounder, pulling in 6.3 boards per contest while Simmons leads the Tide in assists with 4.1 per game and steals at 3.7 per contest.

Cincinnati has won three of its last four games with the lone loss during that stretch coming on the road against Akron. Last time out, the Bearcats picked up a 68-54 victory over Belmont. Junior Dayeesha Hollins has been Cincinnati’s go-to performer this season as she averages 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game. As a team, the Bearcats are averaging 58.3 points per game while holding opponents to only 54.5 points per contest.

In addition to Cincinnati, Alabama will also play LIU Brooklyn and Hawai’i at the three-day event. The Tide will face the Blackbirds on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT and will close out the tournament against the Rainbow Wahine on Sunday at 10 p.m. CT. The game can be heard locally on AM 790 WTSK with Mick Gillispie on the call.