Sarah Ashlee Barker points record: Where Alabama star ranks in NCAA Tournament history

[ASFN Admin]

Though it came in a losing effort, one of the greatest individual efforts in Alabama basketball history, men’s or women’s, was put forth on Monday.

In the Crimson Tide’s 111-108 double-overtime loss to Maryland in the second round of the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball tournament, Sarah Ashlee Barker had arguably the best performance of her career in her final college game.

The 6-foot guard scored 45 points while making 17 of her 25 shots in the setback while trying relentlessly to will her team to an appearance in the Sweet 16 in her hometown of Birmingham next week.

REQUIRED READING: Alabama basketball loses to Maryland in OT despite epic Sarah Ashlee Barker performance

She came up huge when Alabama needed her the most, too, including with three made free throws with 0.7 seconds left that sent the game to a second overtime after she had been fouled on a game-tying 3-point attempt. The Tide tried getting Barker the ball for a 3 that would have led to a third overtime, but the pass was cut off by a Maryland player, securing the win for the host Terrapins.

While her team was unable to earn a matchup with reigning national champion South Carolina in the next round, Barker turned in a showing that will be remembered forever — not only by fans, but in the history books.

Here’s a look at where Barker’s point total ranks in both Alabama and NCAA Tournament history:

Most points in a game in Alabama history​

Barker’s 45 points were the most ever in a game by a player in Alabama women’s basketball history, breaking a mark set by Jasmine Walker four years earlier, when she scored 41 points in a 92-78 victory against archrival Auburn on Feb. 14, 2021.

Even before Monday, Barker was already among the top single-game scorers in program history. Her 34 points in a 91-74 win last season against Kentucky were tied for the sixth-most ever by a Tide player.

Here’s a look at the top scoring outings in Alabama women’s basketball history:

• 1. Sarah Ashlee Barker: 45 points vs. Maryland, 2025
• 2. Jasmine Walker: 41 points vs. Auburn, 2021
• 3. Amy Lannom: 38 points vs. Florida, 1992
• T-4. Daisha Simmons: 37 points vs. Troy, 2013
• T-4. Linda Burgess: 37 points vs. Loyola Chicago, 1991
• T-6. Shalonda Enis: 35 points vs. East Tennessee State, 1995
• T-6. Sarah Ashlee Barker: 34 points vs. Kentucky, 2024
• T-6. Shafontaye Myers: 34 points vs. Troy, 2013
• T-6. Shalonda Enis: 34 points vs. Georgia, 1995
• T-6. Linda Burgess: 34 points vs. UAB, 1991
• T-6. Cassandra Crumpton: 34 points vs. LSU, 1983

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Most points in a game in NCAA Tournament history​

Barker’s 45 points were more than just a school record. They etched her name into the NCAA record books, as well.

Barker’s scoring output was tied for the fourth-highest in a game in NCAA women’s basketball tournament history. They are the most points ever by an SEC player in March Madness. Interestingly enough, two of the five highest single-game scoring totals have now come against Maryland.

Here’s a look at the most points by a player in an NCAA women’s basketball tournament game:

• 1. Lorri Bauman, Drake: 50 points vs. Maryland, 1982
• 2. Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech: 47 points vs. Ohio State, 1993
• 3. Jayne Appel, Stanford: 46 points vs. Iowa State, 2009
• T-4. Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama: 45 points vs. Maryland, 2025
• T-4. Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State: 45 points vs. West Virginia, 2016
• 6. Candice Wiggins, Stanford: 44 points vs. UTEP, 2008
• 7. Barbara Kennedy, Clemson: 43 points vs. Penn State, 1982
• T-8. Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech: 42 points vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 2022
• T-8. Marissa Coleman, Maryland: 42 points vs. Vanderbilt, 2009

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where Sarah Ashlee Barker's 45 points rank in NCAA Tournament history

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