No. 8 seed Alabama and standout freshman Essence Cody hoping to hang with top seed Texas

Updated Mar. 23, 2024 6:35 p.m. ET

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Essence Cody produced a brilliant performance Friday night, and her Alabama teammates say they need to see more of the same.

Cody, a 6-foot-4 freshman, had season highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds, more than double her average in both categories, as the Crimson Tide beat Florida State 82-74 in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament.

Next up for eighth-seeded Alabama (24-9) is a second-round matchup with top-seeded Texas (31-4) on the Longhorns' home floor Sunday.

“I think Essence has no clue how good she can be,” Alabama guard Loyal McQueen said. “Every day I just talk to her about continuing to believe in herself and continuing to be aggressive.”

Give her time, Alabama coach Kristy Curry said, because inexperience is easily exposed in a Southeastern Conference stocked with big, savvy post players.

“She's continued to grow and try to improve and has brought a great work ethic every day,” Curry said.

Cody, a top-25 national recruit, converted 8 of 12 shots against Florida State, including several layups on pick-and-rolls.

“I know I can be great,” Cody said. “But I have to prove it.”

Cody's star turn caught the attention of Texas coach Vic Schaefer.

“Didn't play like a freshman,” Schaefer said. “The moment obviously wasn’t too big for her.”

Schaefer noticed more than just the points and rebounds. Cody also helped teammates get open for shots.

“She set so many ball screens in transition, and she’s a big girl,” Schaefer said. “You’ve got to really have your head on a swivel or you’re gonna get pinned and you might get hurt. When (Cody) sets a ball screen, you can make two left turns and still only be halfway around it.”

Alabama has some players who can benefit from the interference Cody runs. Sarah Ashlee Barker averages 17 points per game and was named first team All-SEC. Fellow guard Aaliyah Nye averages 14 points and is one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the country.

“They are a big, tough physical, aggressive basketball team,” Schaefer said. “Before we can even start talking about X’s and O’s and strategy, we’re gonna have to match that toughness and competitive spirit.”

Texas presents plenty of problems for Alabama. Freshman point guard Madison Booker is a second-team AP All-American, and she had 14 assists in Friday's win over Drexel, the most ever by a Longhorn in an NCAA Tournament game.

Texas has five post players who stand between 6-1 and 6-4. And the Tide committed 20 turnovers against Florida State.

“We know we have to take care of the ball a lot better,” Barker said. “They take those turnovers and they push in transition.”

Texas had a strong season despite losing point guard Rori Harmon, its best perimeter defender, to a season-ending knee injury in late December. In her absence, Booker moved from forward to point guard, and Shay Holle became the team's new defensive stopper.

Harmon said she looks forward to sharing ball-handling responsibilities with Booker next season. Harmon had 27 point and 13 assists, and Booker scored 20, when Texas beat UConn 80-68 on Dec. 3 in Austin.

“We talk about it a lot,” Harmon said. “People have already seen what it was like, but it’s just gonna be a different level. She's gonna have more experience, more knowledge.”

For now, Texas will try to avert a second-round exit like last season, when the fourth-seeded Longhorns were routed by No. 5 seed Louisville 73-51 in Austin.

Schaefer posted that score around the team's practice facility during the offseason as a reminder to his players, and to himself. Harmon and Sarah Graves organized offseason workouts. They say the extra work was not inspired by the Louisville game, but that they were better attended than in years past.

“It became a thing,” Graves said. “If you’re not in the gym, you’re hurting the team. Everyone has to be held to the same level of accountability.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

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