The Alabama women's basketball team's season is at an end, as the fifth-seeded Crimson Tide fell in double overtime at No. 4 seed Maryland, 111-108. This, Monday night, in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
One more overtime, and Sarah Ashlee Barker might have set the single-game scoring record for the women's NCAA Tournament.
As it was, she left a mark on March Madness like few players have.
Barker scored 45 points for fifth-seeded Alabama in a 111-108 double-overtime loss to fourth-seeded Maryland on Monday. Even after multiple key teammates fouled out, she kept the Crimson Tide in the game.
Her performance included one of the great clutch displays in tournament history, when she made three straight free throws with 0.7 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game at 96.
“If you’re a women’s basketball fan or anybody that loves basketball, I think that every single person could say that was one of the best games they’ve ever watched,” Barker said.
The mutual respect afterward was obvious.
“I told her after the game I thought she was phenomenal. I didn’t think she needed to shed a single tear,” said Shyanne Sellers, who led Maryland with 28 points.
“She was excellent and I think she put everyone on notice of exactly who she is. Obviously we probably should have done a little bit better but we contained everybody else so that was huge, but she has no reason to hang her head. She’s a phenomenal player and a great person, too.”
Barker went 17 for 25 from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. She did have 11 of her team's 20 turnovers, but she added eight rebounds, three assists and three steals while playing 49:05 of a possible 50 minutes.
Only three players in tournament history have scored more points in a game than Barker’s 45: Drake’s Lorri Bauman had 50 against Maryland in a 1982 regional final, Texas Tech’s Sheryl Swoopes scored 47 in the 1993 title game against Ohio State, and Stanford’s Jayne Appel had 46 in a 2009 regional final against Iowa State.
Barker nearly sent Alabama to its first Sweet 16 since 1998 when her 3-pointer put the Crimson Tide up 83-80 in the final minute.
Then she blocked Kaylene Smikle's 3 attempt at the other end, but Smikle came up with the ball and passed to Sarah Te-Biasu, whose 3 tied it with 12 seconds to go and sent the game to OT.
Maryland led 96-93 when Barker was fouled with less than a second remaining. There was a brief delay before she shot the free throws.
“The first thing I did is I walked over to (teammate) Karly Weathers and I said, ‘Pray for me,’” Barker said. “On my wrist I write Isaiah 41:10. It says, ‘I will strengthen you, I will help you, and I will uphold you.’”
Barker made all three free throws, momentarily prolonging Alabama's season. In the second OT, the Crimson Tide fell behind by six before Barker scored six of their last eight points to cut the deficit to one before Maryland held on.
“She’s what every little girl should aspire to be in the classroom, court and community, and I’m incredibly proud that she chose Alabama and for me to be her coach," Crimson Tide coach Kristy Curry said. “I know she’s going to have an incredibly bright future ahead.”
