March Madness: 5th-seeded Alabama snaps Green Bay's 22-game winning streak with an 81-67 win

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Aaliyah Nye scored 23 points and Zaay Green added 22 to lead fifth-seeded Alabama to an 81-67 victory over 12th-seeded Green Bay on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide (24-8) ended Green Bay's 22-game winning streak and now advances to the second round to face fourth-seeded Maryland on Monday. Maddy Schreiber scored 14 points for the Phoenix (29-6).

Green Bay kept the game close through most of the first half, but the Horizon League champion allowed six straight points to end the second quarter and trailed 38-29.

“I have so much respect for those young women from Green Bay. They are everything that is so good about our game,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “Certainly want to make sure that everyone understands what a great basketball team we beat today — the utmost respect — but I am so proud of our locker room. I'm so proud of our team.”

The Crimson Tide — who earned their highest seed since 1999 — now have a chance to achieve another March Madness breakthrough. They haven't made the Sweet 16 since 1998.

Alabama pushed its lead to 13 in the third quarter. The margin was down to five early in the fourth, but Nye connected from 3-point range to help repel that Green Bay push.

Nye's four 3-pointers brought her season total to 109, breaking her school record of 108 from 2023-24. She's also the program's career leader with 387.

“I always say consistency, and don't get too high or too low,” Nye said. “I'm just blessed ... to be a part of this program and this team, that's able to get me the ball.”

Green Bay: It was another fine season for one of the nation's better mid-major programs, which kept right on rolling after longtime coach Kevin Borseth retired and was replaced by Kayla Karius. But the Phoenix didn't get enough stops to spring the upset against the Crimson Tide.

Alabama: This was a good first-round test, and the Crimson Tide passed it, finishing strong in both halves. Top scorer Sarah Ashlee Barker scored just nine points, but Alabama still put up the most points by a Green Bay opponent since the Phoenix allowed 92 to Kansas State in their first game of the season. Barker did have eight assists and seven rebounds.

Alabama's size advantage was noticeable — both inside and at the guard position.

“I think it did bother us, and you could tell with five turnovers in the first quarter, how the passes didn't look as open as maybe they normally do,” Karius said. “That's part of playing against teams like this and getting in the NCAA Tournament and playing the best of the best.”

The Crimson Tide outscored Green Bay 40-22 in the paint and went 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter after they were 6 of 21 through three.

In the final seconds of the first half, Nye drew a three-shot foul and converted each attempt to give Alabama a nine-point lead.

Alabama and Maryland met in the NCAA Tournament four years ago, with the Terrapins winning 100-64 in the second round.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

FILE - Green Bay's Natalie McNeal handles the ball during a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, N.C., March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, file)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday he would be placing a 25% tariff on all imports from any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela as well as imposing new tariffs on the South American country itself.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Venezuela has been “very hostile” to the U.S. and countries purchasing oil from it will be forced to pay the tariff on all their trade to the U.S. starting April 2.

Venezuela will face a "Secondary” tariff because it is the home to the gang Tren de Aragua, he said. The Trump administration is deporting immigrants that it claims are members of that gang who illegally crossed into the United States.

Trump's latest tariffs threat suggests the administration will take bolder moves against China, the largest customer for Venezuelan oil. The Trump administration has already levied universal 20% tariffs on imports from China as an effort to crackdown on the illicit trade in fentanyl.

The U.S. president told reporters during a public portion of a Cabinet meeting Monday that the tariffs related to Venezuela were “long in the making,” as he promised forthcoming import taxes on autos and pharmaceutical drugs that he has pledged will lead to more investment and factories inside the United States.

Trump has labeled April 2 as “LIBERATION DAY” based on his still unclear plans to roll out import taxes to match the rates charged by other countries, as well as fully levy 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada, the two largest U.S. trading partners. The Republican president has also increased his 2018 tariffs on steel and aluminum to 25% for all imports. Trump told reporters on Friday that there would be “flexibility” in his tariffs even as he has opposed granting exemptions to his import taxes.

The U.S. stock market had been climbing on Monday as investors expect the tariffs to be more targeted than they earlier feared. Still, the S&P 500 index is down so far this year out of concerns that a trade war could hinder economic growth and increase inflationary pressures.

Trump said his social media post on Monday would serve as notification of this policy to the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies.

The tariffs would most likely add to the taxes facing China, which in 2023 bought 68% of the oil exported by Venezuela, according to a 2024 analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Spain, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam are also among the countries receiving oil from Venezuela, the report shows. The United States in January imported 8.6 million barrels of oil from Venezuela, according to the Census Bureau.

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks at an education event and executive order signing in the East Room of the White House in Washington, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)