BIRMINGHAM – After a third consecutive 20-win season for the first time in program history, the UAB women’s basketball team was set to make its third postseason appearance in a row before everything came to a halt in college athletics.
Despite the unprecedented events that have occurred over the last few weeks, the Blazers’ attitude has remained positive knowing the foundation for the future has been laid by a group of seniors who leave the program better than it started, breaking school, conference and NCAA records along the way.
Miyah Barnes, Rachael Childress, Imani Johnson, Lea Kerstein, Trista Magee and Angela Vendrell made up a senior class that set a program record for wins with 88 over four seasons. They recorded 37 conference wins with three straight seasons of 12 or more wins in league play, including claiming the 2017-18 C-USA regular season title.
The Blazers finished atop C-USA in eight categories this season, and top 50 in the NCAA in 10. UAB led the league in field goal percentage (45.2%), 3-point field goal percentage (38.1%), 3-pointers per game (8.7), threes made (270), defensive rebounds per game (28.5), assist/turnover ratio (1.2), assists per game (15.7) and fewest turnovers (13.6).
UAB ranked ninth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage, 12th in threes made, 13th in 3-pointers per game, 17th in field goal percentage, 26th in defensive rebounds per game, 28th in assist/turnover ratio, 32nd in scoring (73.5), 34th in assists per game, 45th in turnovers per game and 49th in free throw percentage (74.6%).
Over the last four seasons the Blazers have established themselves as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country, dominating from behind the arc. This season, UAB set a school record for 3-point FG% shooting at 38.1 percent from behind the arc, which is tied for third best in C-USA history. The Green and Gold’s 270 triples were fourth most in conference history and second most in school history, only trailing the 291 threes from a season ago.
The Blazers also took advantage of their trips to the charity stripe shooting, 74.6 percent from the free throw line, the fourth best free throw percentage in school history.
UAB women’s basketball continues to establish itself as one of the best offensive teams in the country, breaking records each season under head coach Randy Norton. Norton has brought a winning culture to UAB and sits third in school history in wins with 137 in his seven years at the helm. Even though the Blazers will graduate six seniors, the future of women’s basketball looks bright in Birmingham.
# UAB #
