UAB Moves to Sweet Sixteen

UAB's Deanna Jackson

With a pair of upset victories over nationally-ranked opponents, UAB has become the first Conference USA women's basketball team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 11 seed Blazers posted an 80-79 win at 20th-ranked Oregon for the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament win and followed it up with a 78-72 victory over No. 12 Mississippi State, the No. 3 seed in the West Regional. UAB is the highest seeded team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen since 1996, when No. 12 seed San Francisco and No. 11 seed Stephen F. Austin each moved on to the round of 16.

Additionally, Deanna Jackson's career-high 32 point game against Oregon stands as the second-highest scoring total in the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

The Blazers will next face eighth-ranked Rutgers, the No. 2 seed in the West Regional. The game will take place on Saturday, March 25 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland. The game will be televised by ESPN, beginning at 11:30 p.m. Central with Pam Ward and Heather Cox announcing.