Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty. Last Monday, guard Sarah Ashlee Barker displayed her courage, which she said is generated by faith, in her final collegiate game.
In a movie-like series of events, Barker drew a foul behind the arc with 0.7 seconds remaining in the first overtime period against Maryland. Her reward: three shots at the foul stripe as Alabama trailed the Terrapins by 3 points.
After the referee’s whistle, Barker spoke with teammate, close friend and Bible study partner Karly Weathers. Her message for Weathers was “Pray for me.”
Weathers later told Barker that her prayer was, “Lord, show her that if she makes these three, it’s your glory. If she misses these three, that’s how her story was written through you, and that’s how you wanted it to be.”
Barker looked down at her wrist before approaching the foul line. In black Sharpie read Isaiah 41:10, a Bible verse that says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Ahead of her free throws, Barker said she was thinking, “How lucky am I that the Lord put me in this position to even do this?”
Some athletes do not get to experience the final shot with the season on the line in their career. For Barker, it became a reality, with the variable of having to make a trio of free throws to force another overtime.
The ground in the XFINITY Center shook as Terrapin fans roared. Maryland players made subtle but noticeable movements with their arms and hands in hopes of throwing Barker off of her game, but none seemed to work.
One after another, Barker made her shots to send the game to a second overtime.
However, Alabama later found itself trailing by 3 points in another late-game situation.
The Crimson Tide had the final possession of the second overtime period. 1.8 seconds remained. Defenders keyed in on Barker as she sprinted around her teammates’ screens to try to get open.
With the pressure of not picking up a five-second violation weighing on her, Weathers inbounded the basketball to the top of the key where Barker was standing, but a Maryland defender broke it up.
The clock hit zero. Maryland players bolted to the other side of the floor and began celebrating their Sweet 16 berth. Barker momentarily lay on the hardwood before her teammates lifted her back up.
Head coach Kristy Curry stepped onto the floor and embraced Barker. As Barker’s eyes welled, Curry patted Barker on the arm and said, “It’s OK.” Her tears fell onto Curry’s pullover.
“She’s what every little girl should aspire to be in the classroom, on the court and in the community,” Curry said.
Barker finished with a career-high 45 points, the most by an SEC player in NCAA Tournament history. She played 49 minutes in the double overtime thriller, only subbing out on the last possession of the first half.
Yet the numbers did not matter to Barker after the game. Even after a historic performance, Barker said she wished she could have done more to get to the Sweet 16 — not for herself, but for her teammates.
“We have a bond that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Barker said. “I’m a firm believer that your teammates are your sisters for life.”
