Second Time’s a Charm – UA Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team Wins National Title Twice

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team won their second national championship by defeating the University of Illinois 66-36 in a playoff tournament held in Denver, Colo., April 10.

The UA women’s team finished their second national championship season with a final record of 37-3. The team was undefeated against women’s teams during the year for the second season in a row with their five losses in the last two years coming against men’s teams. Their last loss to a women’s team was in the 2008 national championship final against UI by one point.

This is the seventh season for the UA Wheelchair Athletics program. Alabama is one of 12 universities in the country that sponsors wheelchair athletics and the only university program in the Southeast.

The Crimson Tide started the national tournament with an opening win over the Steel City Starz from Pittsburgh, Pa. The win against Steel City set up a rematch of the 2009 national championship game against the 4th-ranked University of Illinois.  Alabama played a steady game against UI and only turned over the ball three times in the game while building a 15 point lead at the half.  UA players Janet McLachlan (leading scorer for the tournament) and Annika Zeyen were named to the All-Tournament Team, and McLachlan was named Tournament MVP.

For more information about Alabama Wheelchair Athletics, go to www.uads.ua.edu or contact Dr. Brent Hardin, UAWA director, at 205/348-5109.