Latest news with #NatalieMcNeal


Associated Press
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Alabama Crimson Tide square off against Green Bay Phoenix in first round of NCAA Tournament
College Park, Maryland; Saturday, 1:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Crimson Tide -13.5; over/under is 130.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 21 Alabama and Green Bay play in the NCAA Tournament opening round. The Crimson Tide have gone 10-7 against SEC opponents, with a 13-1 record in non-conference play. Alabama scores 78.4 points and has outscored opponents by 15.7 points per game. The Phoenix are 22-1 in Horizon play. Green Bay is sixth in the Horizon with 23.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Natalie McNeal averaging 5.7. Alabama makes 46.3% of its shots from the field this season, which is 7.6 percentage points higher than Green Bay has allowed to its opponents (38.7%). Green Bay averages 6.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 more made shots on average than the 5.0 per game Alabama allows. TOP PERFORMERS: Aaliyah Nye averages 3.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Crimson Tide, scoring 15.1 points while shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc. Sarah Ashlee Barker is shooting 49.0% and averaging 18.6 points over the past 10 games. Callie Genke averages 1.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Phoenix, scoring 8.8 points while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. McNeal is averaging 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Crimson Tide: 6-4, averaging 75.9 points, 32.8 rebounds, 15.7 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.4 points per game. Phoenix: 10-0, averaging 70.2 points, 32.8 rebounds, 18.2 assists, 6.7 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 51.4 points. ___

Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alabama Crimson Tide square off against Green Bay Phoenix in first round of NCAA Tournament
Green Bay Phoenix (29-5, 22-1 Horizon) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (23-8, 10-7 SEC) College Park, Maryland; Saturday, 1:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Crimson Tide -13.5; over/under is 130.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 21 Alabama and Green Bay play in the NCAA Tournament opening round. The Crimson Tide have gone 10-7 against SEC opponents, with a 13-1 record in non-conference play. Alabama scores 78.4 points and has outscored opponents by 15.7 points per game. The Phoenix are 22-1 in Horizon play. Green Bay is sixth in the Horizon with 23.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Natalie McNeal averaging 5.7. Alabama makes 46.3% of its shots from the field this season, which is 7.6 percentage points higher than Green Bay has allowed to its opponents (38.7%). Green Bay averages 6.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 more made shots on average than the 5.0 per game Alabama allows. TOP PERFORMERS: Aaliyah Nye averages 3.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Crimson Tide, scoring 15.1 points while shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc. Sarah Ashlee Barker is shooting 49.0% and averaging 18.6 points over the past 10 games. Callie Genke averages 1.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Phoenix, scoring 8.8 points while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. McNeal is averaging 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Crimson Tide: 6-4, averaging 75.9 points, 32.8 rebounds, 15.7 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.4 points per game. Phoenix: 10-0, averaging 70.2 points, 32.8 rebounds, 18.2 assists, 6.7 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 51.4 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
March Madness: Birmingham 2 region bracket Cinderella, players to watch, schedule, odds and more
[More region breakdowns: Spokane 1 | Birmingham 3 | Spokane 4] The NCAA women's tournament is just days away. Here's everything you need to know about the Birmingham 2 region. No. 1: South Carolina (+260 to win the national title at BetMGM) No. 2: Duke (+6,600) No. 3: North Carolina (+20,000) South Carolina is the betting favorite for the entire tournament, with just slightly better odds than UConn (+290). The Gamecocks are the overwhelming pick to win the region, too. Duke, the No. 2 seed in Birmingham 2, is the next-closest to them at (+6,600). [Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K] South Carolina has a very clear path to the Final Four. The defending national champions came just shy of earning the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament after they rolled through the SEC once again. They won seven straight to end the year, all by double digits, and their bad losses seem to be well behind them. The Gamecocks have been to four straight Final Fours under coach Dawn Staley, which produced a pair of national titles. While there's not a clear star like the last two championship teams had, this team is just as dominant. It's going to take a stunning effort, and a bit of help, to stop the Gamecocks from making the Final Four once again. If the Gamecocks are going to lose, it's very likely going to be in Tampa. Let's give this title to Green Bay, which won the Horizon League and is entering the tournament on a massive 22-game win streak. Guard Natalie McNeal leads the team with 14.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and Alabama has struggled lately. The Crimson Tide lost three of their last five, including a second-round stunner to Florida in the SEC tournament, and are absolutely on upset watch after their skid. Look for either Columbia or Washington to stun West Virginia in the first round after their play-in battle. Columbia just barely lost the Ivy League title to Harvard, and is led by Riley Weiss' 17.8 points per game. The Huskies, despite a rough stretch to their season, ended the year winning five of six to make the tournament. West Virginia overlooking a play-in team after making it to the Big 12 title game wouldn't be all that surprising. South Carolina F Chloe Kitts Kitts may not lead the Gamecocks in scoring, but she's a very reliable piece inside that makes the team work. She averaged 10.1 points and 7.9 rebounds all year, and she had eight double-doubles and a triple-double on the season. Vanderbilt G Mikayla Blakes Blakes averaged 23.2 points per game this season with the Commodores, which was the second-best output in the SEC. She put up 55 in a win over Auburn last month, which was her second 50-point game of the year. Blakes can flat-out score, and could absolutely lead Vanderbilt to a deep run. Oregon State G Catarina Ferreira Ferreira doesn't lead the Beavers in scoring, but she's been on a heater lately. She led the team in scoring in all three of their West Coast Conference tournament games, which is why they're in the tournament in the first place, and came just shy of averaging a double-double over that span. If Oregon State keeps its run going, it's because of Ferreira. No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech (Columbia, Friday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana (Columbia, Friday, 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay (College Park, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2)No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State (College Park, Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Columbia/No. 11 Washington (Chapel Hill, Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS)No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State (Chapel Hill, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon (Durham, Friday, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS)No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh (Durham, Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU) South Carolina. It doesn't really matter whether it's Duke or North Carolina — or a third option — that makes it out of the bottom half of this region to challenge the Gamecocks in the Elite Eight. This region is South Carolina's to lose. What happens after that remains to be seen.

Associated Press
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Green Bay women beat Purdue Fort Wayne 76-63 for back-to-back Horizon League Tournament titles
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Natalie McNeal scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds as top-seeded Green Bay beat No. 2 seed Purdue Fort Wayne 76-63 on Tuesday to claim back-to-back Horizon League Tournament championships. Green Bay (29-5) extended its winning streak to 22 games, the longest since rattling off 24 in the 2012-23 season. Green Bay also secured its 20th NCAA Tournament appearance in coach Kayla Karius' first season at the helm. Purdue Fort Wayne (25-8) was seeking its first Division I NCAA Tournament berth. Green Bay trailed 51-50 with 2:56 left in the third quarter before Jenna Guyer made two 3-pointers and scored eight points during a 10-2 run to take a 60-53 lead into the fourth. Bailey Butler scored the opening four points of the fourth to give Green Bay the first double-digit lead of the game. The Phoenix scored 12 of the opening 14 points of the fourth before Purdue Fort Wayne made its first field goal with 4:08 left on Sydney Freeman shot in the lane. Green Bay improved to 14-1 in the series with Purdue Fort Wayne, with a one-point loss coming earlier this season. Jasmine Kondrakiewicz and Callie Genke each scored 10 points for Green Bay. Guyer scored all eight of her points in the second half. McNeal was 11 of 20 from the field and 4 of 4 at the free-throw line. Freeman led Purdue Fort Wayne with 18 points. Jordan Reid added 12 and Jazzlyn Linbo 11. McNeal made 6 of 9 shots in the first half for a game-high 14 points as Green Bay and Purdue Fort Wayne played to a 40-40 tie after both teams shot above 51% from the field. Purdue Fort Wayne made seven 3-pointers in the first half before finishing 9 of 23. ___


Associated Press
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Green Bay and Purdue Fort Wayne meet in Horizon Championship
Indianapolis; Tuesday, 12 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Green Bay and Purdue Fort Wayne meet in the Horizon Championship. The Phoenix are 21-1 against Horizon opponents and 7-4 in non-conference play. Green Bay averages 17.6 assists per game to lead the Horizon, paced by Bailey Butler with 4.8. The Mastodons are 20-2 in Horizon play. Purdue Fort Wayne is 9-7 against opponents over .500. Green Bay makes 43.6% of its shots from the field this season, which is 5.9 percentage points higher than Purdue Fort Wayne has allowed to its opponents (37.7%). Purdue Fort Wayne has shot at a 44.7% rate from the field this season, 6.1 percentage points greater than the 38.6% shooting opponents of Green Bay have averaged. The teams play each other for the third time this season. Green Bay won the last meeting 68-63 on March 1. Natalie McNeal scored 27 to help lead Green Bay to the win, and Amellia Bromenschenkel scored 18 points for Purdue Fort Wayne. TOP PERFORMERS: McNeal is averaging 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Phoenix. Maddy Schreiber is averaging 13.5 points over the last 10 games. Sydney Freeman is averaging 11 points and 1.9 steals for the Mastodons. Lauren Ross is averaging 13.0 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Phoenix: 10-0, averaging 70.2 points, 32.3 rebounds, 17.6 assists, 6.9 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 50.5 points per game. Mastodons: 8-2, averaging 71.6 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 8.1 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 56.1 points. ___