Sarah Ashlee Barker could have raised her WNBA Draft inventory on Monday. On the very least, she jotted her title into the NCAA Event file e-book with a sharpie.
The senior guard for the fifth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide went down furiously swinging within the remaining recreation of her faculty profession, scoring 45 factors in a double-overtime loss at No. 4 Maryland, 111-108.
Barker’s level complete is a single-game program file for Alabama, and likewise tied fourth-most factors ever scored by one participant in an NCAA Event. The participant Barker tied is Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell, and the gamers rating forward of her are Lori Bauman (50 in 1982), Sheryl Swoopes (47 in 1993) and Jayne Appel (46 in 2009).
The 6-foot senior from Birmingham shot 17-of-25 from the ground, 4-of-6 from 3-point land and 7-of-11 from the free throw line in what is going to lengthy be remembered as an unbelievable efficiency in School Park, Maryland. She additionally had eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 45 minutes of play towards the Terps.
Sarah Ashlee Barker over her remaining 13 video games of the season after getting back from harm on Jan. 26:
21.2 factors, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists on 57% 2P & 42% 3P (61% TS)
That is a first-round decide.
— Hunter Cruse (@HunterCruse14) March 25, 2025
Barker’s 3-pointer close to the tip of the fourth quarter gave Alabama a lead with 37 seconds to play, however Maryland’s Sarah Te-Biasu responded with a deep shot of her personal to ship the sport into time beyond regulation. On the finish of the primary additional interval, Barker knocked down three consecutive free throws with no time left to ship the sport right into a second OT.
On the finish of the ultimate time beyond regulation, a shot by Barker’s teammate missed the mark, after which Te-Biasu got here up with a steal to seal the win for Maryland.
It was the primary double-overtime recreation within the girls’s NCAA Event since a 2022 Elite Eight recreation between N.C. State and UConn. It was the primary double-overtime recreation Maryland had performed in since 2008.
A victory for Barker’s Alabama would have put the Crimson Tide within the Candy 16 for the primary time since 1998. As a substitute, Maryland advances to the second weekend for the fourth time in 5 years.
However Alabama followers will all the time keep in mind this efficiency by Barker — the daughter of a former Alabama quarterback — who leaves the Crimson Tide as one of many program’s best gamers.
