BAMA PLAYS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP
The University of Alabama Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team fell just short of the National Championship after advancing to the finals of the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 1st in Champaign, Illinois. The 3rd ranked Crimson Tide lost by a score of 44-43 to top-ranked Illinois.
In advancing to the championship game Alabama beat 5th-ranked Texas in their opening round game on Thursday, March 28 by a score of 50-37. Stephanie Wheeler paced the Crimson Tide in that game with 20 points, followed by Freshman Katie Harnock with 10 points. Next up on Friday, February 29th for Alabama was a 2nd ranked Phoenix team that knocked off the Tide in the quarter finals of the tournament last year. Alabama had little trouble this year and overwhelmed the Mercury with their relentless full court pressure and cruised to a 61-22 win. Karla Tritten paced Alabama with 14 points in the game followed by Katie Harnock and Stephanie Wheeler with 10 points each. In the semi-final game on Saturday morning, March 1st Alabama again used overwhelming defensive pressure to beat the University of Arizona to jump out to a 24-2 lead and coast to a 59-40 win. Stephanie Wheeler and Katie Harnock again paced Alabama in scoring 15 and 11 points respectively.
Alabama had just 1 1/2 hours to change uniforms, get some quick lunch and get ready to play the Illini on their home court for the National Championship. In a hotly contested back and forth contest that featured 4 lead changes and 7 ties the rested Illini tried to wear down the Tide with full court pressure most of the game. Alabama countered with a tight half court defense and efficient offense that did a nice job protecting the ball. The Tide only trailed by one with a chance to win the game with 5 seconds to go the ball on their near sideline. On the last play of the game Karla Tritten made a perfect pass to Desiree Miller who was about 6 feet from the goal. Miller’s shot rolled around on the rim and finally popped out as time expired and the partisan Illinois crowd erupted with relief. Karla Tritten led Alabama with 23 points in the championship game, followed by Stephanie Wheeler with 8 and Desiree Miller and Katie Harnock with 6 each.
Alabama ends the year with a final record of 32-4. They have advanced to the final four of the national tournament 3 of the last 4 years.
Head Coach Margaret Stran, said after the game, “We are all feeling a little empty right now, but I hope when the sting of this close loss wears off that the team will look back with pride on what we accomplished in our best season ever.”
Associate Head Coach, Wheelchair Athletics Director, Brent Hardin, “We just played in one of the best championship games I have ever seen in the women’s division and this is without a doubt the best team I have ever had the pleasure to coach. They had an exceptional season and almost pulled off the national championship game in a very hostile environment. This team did things the right way all season long, I really wanted the championship for them, but we are proud of our entire season and this will be a year that we will never forget.”