BIRMINGHAM – The 2019-20 season did not end how the UAB women’s basketball senior class expected. The Blazers were on their way to a third consecutive postseason appearance when the season concluded abruptly. It was not the kind of ending one would ever imagine for a senior class that put its name all over the UAB record books. Regardless of the way it ended, the mark that the class of 2020 left on the UAB women’s basketball program is evident.
Miyah Barnes, Rachael Childress, Imani Johnson, Lea Kerstein, Trista Magee and Angela Vendrell made up one of the most decorated classes in the program history. They set a program record for career wins with 88 going 45-23 in C-USA play over four seasons. The Blazers captured the first regular season Conference USA title in school history in 2017-18. In their final season, the seniors helped UAB to its third consecutive 20-win season for the first time in school history and the third straight season with 12 or more C-USA wins.
With each season, the six seniors took UAB’s program to new heights breaking conference and school records every year. The 2017-18 team set the school record for wins in a season with 27 and a 13-3 C-USA record to claim the regular season championship. The 2018-19 team set a school record for 3-pointers made in a season with 291, the second most in C-USA single season history. The 2019-20 UAB squad set the school record for 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 38.1 percent from behind the arc, tied for third in C-USA single season history. Over the last three seasons, the Blazers have ranked top 10 in C-USA history in 3-pointers made.
In the last four seasons, UAB has established itself as one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country, largely in part to Childress, who finished her career ranked fifth all-time in the NCAA in threes made with 415. She broke the school record for career threes in just the first game of the season after sinking eight triples against South Alabama. In early December, she wrote her name atop the C-USA record book, surpassing Valerie King to become the conference’s all-time three-point shooter, and she did not stop there.
Childress’ 103 triples in her senior season were only the third most in her career. She holds the top two single season records in C-USA history with 110 3-pointers in 2018-19 and 107 in 2017-18 and ranked in the top 10 in each of her four seasons. Her career 3-point percentage of 42.4 percent ranks second in conference history, and first in UAB history. Childress finished her career fourth in UAB history in scoring with 1,800 points.
In a team full of offensive weapons, the Blazers still managed to share the ball, becoming one of the top assisting teams in the conference and country. In 2017-18, UAB set a school record for assists in a season with 590, which ranked 18th in the NCAA that season and fourth most in C-USA history. The Blazers tallied 567 assists in 2018-19 for the sixth best single season mark in C-USA history and 16th in the NCAA that season.
Barnes led the way for the Blazers with 164 assists in 2017-18 to lead all C-USA players. She followed it up with 158 in 2018-19 again leading C-USA. She also ranked at the top of the conference and sixth in the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio at 3.5 in 2018-19. Vendrell stepped up for the Blazers in her senior season to lead the team with 142 assists, the second most in C-USA.
The Blazers also set multiple single-game records over the course of four seasons including 3’s made in a game (18 against Coppin State 12/20/18), assists in a game (34 against Tuskegee 12/30/17) and individual blocks in a game (seven by Angela Vendrell 3/1/18).
Vendrell recorded just the third triple-double in UAB history and the first since 2001 putting up 10 points, 10 assists and 19 rebounds against Alcorn State on Dec. 15. 2019. She was one of just 22 players in the country to record a triple double in the 2019-20 season.
Over four seasons the class of 2020 took UAB to new heights, excelling not just on the court, but in the classroom as well. Magee and Childress were each named CoSIDA Academic All-District in their senior seasons. Childress also garnered C-USA All-Academic Team and Senior CLASS top 30 finalist honors. Johnson, Barnes and Kerstein in addition to Childress and Magee added C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll accolades during their time as Blazers.
Barnes, Childress, Johnson, Kerstein, Magee and Vendrell have each had an impact in turning the UAB women’s basketball program around and paving the way for future success with their dedication, work ethic and leadership. Their season may have been cut short, but their legacy will never be forgotten.
Effective March 16, Conference USA announced that all spring sport competition and championships have been canceled. For more information regarding the Coronavirus, visit www.uab.edu/coronavirus.
For more information on the UAB women’s basketball team, follow @UAB_WBB on Twitter and uab_wbball on Instagram.
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