HBCU Women Lead March Spotlight as Southern, Alabama A&M Begin Postseason Play

HBCU women are at the center of March basketball coverage. Southern and Alabama A&M begin postseason play on Thursday. Both teams carry conference pride into high-profile matchups.

Southern heads to the First Four

Southern enters the NCAA Tournament First Four with a 17–13 overall mark. The Jaguars went 12–6 in SWAC play. They secured the conference tournament crown after beating Alabama State.

Southern upset regular-season leader Alabama A&M in the SWAC semifinal. The victory helped the team reach March for a second straight season. Coach and players said the berth reflects the work put in all year.

Players to watch — Southern

• DeMya Porter — A high-efficiency interior scorer. She shoots 52.9 percent and averages 9.7 points per game.
• Olivia Delancy — A perimeter threat. She has averaged two made 3-pointers over her last 10 games.
• Jocelyn Tate — The team’s leading rebounder at 5.6 per game. Southern averages 31.7 rebounds and ranks eighth in the SWAC.

About Samford

Samford arrives as a 16–18 team, the only losing-record squad in the NCAA field. The Bulldogs earned their spot by winning the SoCon Tournament. They knocked off the conference’s top seed to claim the automatic bid.

Players to watch — Samford

• Kaylee Yarbrough — Team scoring leader at 12.2 points per game. She shoots 41.8 percent from the floor.
• Francie Morris — Hot scorer recently, averaging 13.8 points over the last 10 games.
• Emily Bowman — Boards the glass at 5.3 rebounds per game. Samford ranks eighth in the SoCon at 27.5 rebounds.

Spread: Southern -3.5 (ESPN). Game time: 7 p.m. ET. Network: ESPN2.

Alabama A&M opens WBIT play

Alabama A&M qualified as the SWAC regular-season champion. The Bulldogs won 20 games for a second straight year. Their regular season included a school-record 17-game winning streak.

The run ended in the SWAC Tournament semifinals. Alabama A&M moves to the WBIT to face Big 12 opponent BYU. This matchup keeps an HBCU program in the national postseason spotlight.

Players to watch — Alabama A&M

• Kalia Walker — Leads the Bulldogs at 14.6 points per game. She serves as the primary perimeter creator.
• Alisha Wilson — Controls the paint with 9.7 rebounds per game. She also averages 2.2 steals and anchors the defense.

About BYU

BYU enters the tournament at 22–11. The Cougars earned a No. 1 seed after a loss in the Big 12 Tournament. This marks BYU’s first postseason appearance since 2024’s WBIT.

Players to watch — BYU

• Delaney Gibb — A primary ball handler and playmaker. She ranks among team leaders in made 3-pointers and free-throw percentage.
• Lara Rohkohl — Provides rim protection with 1.4 blocks per game. She also contributes to BYU’s strong team rebounding.

Game time: 9 p.m. ET. Network: ESPN+.

Filmogaz.com will follow both games and provide updates. The HBCU women’s spotlight continues as Southern and Alabama A&M begin postseason play.