Alabama's Barker scores 45 in loss to Maryland, 5 shy of the women's NCAA Tournament record

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Sarah Te-Biasu made a tying three-pointer late in the fourth quarter, then scored eight of her 26 points in the second overtime to help fourth-seeded Maryland outlast fifth-seeded Alabama, 111-108, on Monday in a Birmingham 2 Region game to advance to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

The Terrapins (25-7) will play top-seeded South Carolina, but to advance, they had to overcome a career-high 45 points by Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker and a 17-point Crimson Tide lead in the third quarter.

Only three players in tournament history have scored more points than Barker’s 45: Drake’s Lorri Bauman had 50 against Maryland in a 1982 regional final, Texas Tech’s Sheryl Swoopes scored 47 in the 1993 title game against Ohio State and Stanford’s Jayne Appel had 46 in a 2009 regional final against Iowa State.

“If you’re a women’s basketball fan or anybody that loves basketball, I think that every single person could say that was one of the best games they’ve ever watched,” Barker said.

The mutual respect afterward was obvious.

“I told her after the game I thought she was phenomenal. I didn’t think she needed to shed a single tear,” said Shyanne Sellers, who led Maryland with 28 points. “She was excellent and I think she put everyone on notice of exactly who she is.

“Obviously, we probably should have done a little bit better, but we contained everybody else, so that was huge, but she has no reason to hang her head. She’s a phenomenal player and a great person, too.”

Barker went 17-for-25 from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. She did have 11 of her team’s 20 turnovers, but she added eight rebounds, three assists and three steals while playing 49:05 of a possible 50 minutes for Alabama (24-9).

“I think we put on a show for women’s basketball tonight,” Barker said. “I’m very thankful for that. I’m very grateful that I’m in this opportunity and I was able to be part of such a great game like that.”

After Te-Biasu forced the first overtime with her three-pointer, Barker was fouled while shooting a three-pointer with seven-tenths of a second left in OT. She swished all three attempts to tie it at 96 and force a second OT.

“The first thing I did is I walked over to Karly Weathers and I said, ‘Pray for me,’ ” Barker said. “On my wrist I write Isaiah 41:10. It says, ‘I will strengthen you, I will help you, and I will uphold you.’ ”

“She’s what every little girl should aspire to be in the classroom, court and community, and I’m incredibly proud that she chose Alabama and for me to be her coach,” Crimson Tide coach Kristy Curry said of Barker. “I know she’s going to have an incredibly bright future ahead.”

Maryland’s Kaylene Smikle (Bay Shore) had 24 points. Weathers played 49:53 of a possible 50 minutes. Te-Biasu played 49:40.

“It was really a fight. We went double overtime but we just kept playing for each other the whole game,” Te-Biasu said. “I think it was like the third and fourth quarter, it was a little bit tough for us, but we never gave up and we just kept fighting. That’s all we did.”