Sun Belt Women Advance to Postseason Play as March Madness Begins

When midnight struck and the calendar turned to March 16, the eyes of the nation shifted to March Madness and filling out brackets in the hope they are not busted on the opening day of competition.

While the men’s tournament gets the majority of attention, the NCAA Women’s Tournament has created several compelling storylines. And, like the men, women’s basketball has several postseason tournaments outside March Madness that gives teams a chance to continue playing and build momentum for next season.

Nearly half of the Sun Belt will continuing play into the postseason. Here is how they advanced.

James Madison

Postseason: NCAA Tournament

Conference Tournament Performance: Upset No. 1 seed Georgia Southern and No. 2 seed Troy to win their second championship since joining the conference in 2022.

Next opponent: As No. 12 seed, faces No. 5 Kentucky on March 21 in Morgantown, West Virginia

Top Player: Senior guard Peyton McDaniel (18.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is second in Sun Belt in scoring (tied for 34th in NCAA with Texas’s Madison Booker) and seventh in rebounds

James Madison (25-8, 14-4) entered the season as the Sun Belt favorite but fell behind early with three November losses. A defeat to Arkansas State dropped the Dukes to 6-4 in conference play before a nine-game winning streak secured a quarterfinal bye. James Madison is making its 14th March Madness appearance, with its only win since a 1991 Sweet 16 run coming against Gonzaga in 2024.

James Madison and Kentucky have met three times, with two of them coming in postseason play. The last meeting was in the WNIT quarterfinals, with the Wildcats winning 84-76. The Dukes’ lone victory came in the 1991 NCAA Tournament, a 70-62 win. A victory would give James Madison their first March Madness victory since 2014.

Troy

Postseason: WBIT Tournament

Conference Tournament Performance: Fell to No. 4 seed James Madison in the Sun Belt championship game

Next opponent: As an unseeded team, faces No. 2 Kansas on March 19 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas

Top Player: Senior forward Fortuna Ngnawo (15.3 ppg, 10.7 apg) is fifth in the Sun Belt in scoring and second in rebounds (tied for 16th in NCAA with Maine’s Adrianna Smith)

Troy (25-6, 15-3) looked to become the second top-two seed to win the Sun Belt tournament with a bye to the semifinal when the conference went to a stepladder format in 2025. Instead, the Trojans fell to No. 4 seed James Madison. Troy is looking to continue its success in postseason tournaments. The Trojans reached the WNIT championship game last season before falling 88-84 to Buffalo.

This is the first meeting between the two schools. Kansas has had success in postseason play, winning at least one game in its last ten postseason appearances, including winning the 2023 WNIT title with a 66-59 victory over Columbia.

Georgia Southern

Postseason: WBIT Tournament

Conference Tournament Performance: Fell to No. 4 seed James Madison in the Sun Belt semifinals in its first game of the tournament

Next opponent: As an unseeded team, faces No. 2 Miami (Florida) on March 19 in Coral Gables, Florida

Top Player: Senior guard Destiny Garrett (14.9 ppg, 3.8 apg) is sixth in the Sun Belt in scoring and assists

Georgia Southern (23-7, 16-2) became the first No. 1 seed to lose its opening conference tournament game since 2011. That year, former member Middle Tennessee followed an undefeated conference regular season with an upset loss to West No. 2 seed Arkansas State. The Eagles ended a 32 year postseason drought with their WBIT invitation and are seeking their first postseason victory.

This is the fourth meeting between the programs, but the teams have not faced since a home-and-home series in 1991 that resulted in two losses for Georgia Southern. The Eagles defeated the Hurricanes 72-48 on Jan. 4, 1981. This is Georgia Southern’s first matchup against an ACC opponent since a 78-49 loss at Virginia Tech in 2018.

Marshall

Postseason: WNIT Tournament

Conference Tournament Performance: Upset by No. 12 seed South Alabama in the Sun Belt fourth round in its first game of the tournament

Next opponent: Earned a first round bye, will face the winner of Ohio and UMBC in the second round. The host institution will be determined after completion of the first round

Top Player: Senior guard Timaya Lewis-Eutsey (19.3 ppg, 3.9 apg) leads the Sun Belt in scoring (27th in NCAA) and fifth in assists

Marshall (23-9, 13-5) is making their second postseason appearance in three seasons. The Thundering Heard last appeared in March Madness in 2024, falling to Virginia Tech. Marshall enters the postseason having lost three of its last four games.

The Thundering Heard have history with Ohio dating to their time together in the Mid American Conference from 1997 through 2005. The Bobcats lead the series 28-17 and have an eight-game winning streak against Marshall dating to December 2008. If UMBC defeats Ohio, then it would mark the first meeting between the schools.

South Alabama

Postseason: WNIT Tournament

Conference Tournament Performance: Fell to No. 4 seed James Madison in the Sun Belt quarterfinals after playing five games in five days.

Next opponent: Will face Alcorn State on the road on March 21

Top Player: Senior forward Cordasia Harris (10.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg) is fifth in the Sun Belt in rebounds and tied for 32nd in points

South Alabama (16-18, 5-13) is one of six teams in the field that enter the tournament with a losing record overall. After a 10-game losing streak in January and February, the Jaguars won their final three regular-season games to earn the No. 12 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament. Four wins later sent South Alabama to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion James Madison.

This is the 12th meeting all-time with Alcorn State. The teams last met Dec. 1, 2002, when Alcorn State snapped a four-game losing streak to the Jaguars with a 77-73 victory. The winner will face Purdue Fort Wayne in the second round, a program South Alabama has not previously faced.

Arkansas State

Postseason: WNIT Tournament

Conference Tournament Performance: Fell to No. 2 seed Troy in the Sun Belt semifinals

Next opponent: Earned a first round bye, will face the winner of Radford and Morehead State in the second round. Host institution will be determined after completion of the first round.

Top Player: Junior guard Crislyn Rose (11.4 ppg, 4.4 apg) is second in the Sun Belt in assists and tied for 26th in scoring

Arkansas State (24-9, 14-4) is making a postseason appearance for the second consecutive season after reaching March Madness for the first time in program history in 2025. The Red Wolves defeated James Madison during the regular season but have lost five of their last nine games, including two in the Sun Belt Tournament.

Regardless of whether Radford and Morehead State advances, it will be a first time meeting between Arkansas State and either program.