Timmons, Cody lead Alabama past Rhode Island 68-55 for NCAA Tournament win in 1st round

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Jessica Timmons scored 21 points and Essence Cody added 19 as Alabama beat Rhode Island 68-55 Saturday in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament.

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's 3-pointer on the Rams' first possession, sixth-seeded Alabama led throughout the first half. 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's run as 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.

The Rams, seeded 11th, closed out the first half on a 9-1 run and cut Alabama's 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.

Timmons scored eight of her 11 third-quarter points during the run.

Palmire Mbu and Ines Bebroise each scored 11 points for the Rams, who shot 32.8% (19 of 58).

Alabama will host Louisville in a second-round game on Monday, with the winner advancing to Fort Worth, Texas.