UA Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team Takes Second in National Competition

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team came in second by only one point in the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament held earlier this month in Champaign, Ill.

The third-ranked Crimson Tide lost by a score of 44-43 to top-ranked Illinois.

In advancing to the championship game, UA beat fifth-ranked Texas in their opening round game by a score of 50-37. UA’s Stephanie Wheeler paced the game with 20 points, followed by freshman Katie Harnock with 10 points.

Next for Alabama was a second-ranked Phoenix team that knocked off the Tide in the quarterfinals of the tournament last year. Karla Tritten paced UA with 14 points in the game followed by Katie Harnock and Stephanie Wheeler with 10 points each. In the semi-final game, UA again used overwhelming defensive pressure to beat the University of Arizona in a 59-40 win.

In a hotly contested championship game that featured four lead changes and seven ties, the rested Illini tried to wear down the Tide with full court pressure most of the game. The Tide only trailed by one with a chance to win the game with five seconds to go with 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.

Alabama ends the year with a final record of 32-4. They have advanced to the final four of the National Tournament three of the last four years.

UA 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.”

UA Associate Head Coach and Wheelchair Athletics Director Brent Hardin added, “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.”