Bama WBB Takes Down AU in Revenge Match
Bama softball went 5-0. Tide baseball opened up 3-0. Men's hoops took down TAMU. For a 10-0 on-campus sports weekend, Alabama needed a revenge win over Auburn from its women's basketball team. The Tigers beat the Tide at Auburn a few weeks back.
For three quarters, things didn't look good Sunday, as Bama entered the final stanza trailing AU 52-42.
Auburn was probably feeling pretty good at that point. Toilet paper sales were up at Goober's... err, Toomer's Corner.
But wait.
Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye had other ideas.
Nye got hot behind the arc. Barker converted a pair of old fashioned 3-point plays.
Bama beat Auburn with a 25-9 fourth quarter and won for the first time all season when trailing with five minutes to go in a game.
"Proud of our kids for the resiliency and grit they showed down the stretch. It says a lot about them. Unbelievable effort and game.
"We did a much better job in the fourth quarter from sense of urgency.
"We've dominated the [AU] series. We've gotten eleven out of twelve. We're fighting for SEC seeding."
Added Barker: "We really tried to speed Auburn up. We knew we had to get some spark somewhere. Defense is all about trusting the person behind you.
"My dad [former Bama quarterback Jay Barker] told me you never let Auburn win. Having a dad that played here and having a legacy here... I'm truly blessed."
Nye said, "Today we came together and we fought."
Bama upped it's record to 20-7, 7-5 SEC and got a win it needed for its NCAA hopes. In the process, Barker eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career counting her time at Georgia. She led Bama with 27 points Sunday while Nye added 17.
"I lost my grandmother three years ago this month. Today would have been her birthday," a tearful Barker revealed.
Former Bama player JaMya Mingo-Young scored 14 for Auburn.
Auburn dropped to 16-9, 5-7.
It was a win Bama desperately needed with its next game at No. 1 South Carolina Thursday.
Notable Bama Players to Play in the WNBA
Gallery Credit: Timothy Bowens