UA Hosting Wheelchair Basketball National Championships This Week

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The University of Alabama announced on Monday it will host the 2021 Toyota NWBA Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball National Championships March 12 and 13, which will see UA's men's and women’s wheelchair basketball teams defend their national championships in Tuscaloosa.

Brent Hardin, athletics director for UA’s adapted athletics program, said school officials found out about six weeks ago that Wichita State was not going to be able to host the collegiate championships, which led UA to reach out to offer its facilities.

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“Within three days they took us up on our offer and we’ve been rolling with it ever since," he said.

While it’s not the first time UA has hosted the national championships, it is the first played on the Tuscaloosa campus in Stran-Hardin Arena, which opened in January 2018.

The men’s schedule begins Friday at 10 a.m. when fifth seed Eastern Washington University takes on fourth seed Southwest Minnesota State University. The winner will advance to play the first seed University of Texas – Arlington at 4:45 p.m.

The second seed Crimson Tide will play at 12:15 p.m. Friday against the third seed Auburn Tigers, with the winner moving on to the championship game Saturday at 4:45 p.m.

WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Crimson Tide women’s team will play the University of Texas – Arlington Movin Mavs in a best two-of-three game series. The games will be Friday at 2:30 p.m., Saturday at 12:15 p.m. and 7 p.m., if necessary.

Due to ongoing concerns from the coronavirus pandemic, the number of spectators allowed inside Stran-Hardin Arena will be limited and each team allowed only 20 fans for their specific game.

All of the games will live-streamed on the tournament’s website.

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