STILLWATER, Okla.  – The University of Arizona women's golf team captured its third national title as the Wildcats edged Alabama, 3-2, in the NCAA Women's Golf Championships match play final at Karsten Creek Golf Club on Wednesday.

Haley Moore's birdie on her 19th hole of the day secured the championship after Alabama's Lakareber Abe forced the sudden-death extra hole. Moore had gained a 1-up advantage on the 17th hole of regulation, but Abe perfectly played the 18th to birdie and square the match. The two went back to the 18th tee for the extra hole and each had a good look at birdie. Abe's just missed outside the hole, setting the stage for Moore to roll in the clinching putt.

"It means so much," Moore told the Golf Channel's Kay Cockerill. "It is actually like a dream. I never would have thought that it would be like this. I'm just so happy right now and for my team, and I did this for them."

All five individuals won at least one match for the Wildcats over the last two days of match play. Moore, who was placed in the fifth and final lineup position today, delivered for the third match in a row. On Tuesday, she earned 3&2 and 3&1 victories in matches against UCLA and Stanford, respectively. 

It was a most satisfying collective team effort for eighth-year head coach Laura Ianello, who was a member of the last UA women's golf team to win a national title in 2000.

"Arizona is my home," Ianello told the Golf Channel's Steve Burkowski on the 18th green moments after Moore's putt fell into the bottom of the cup. "It is where I went to school and it [the national championship] needs to be back home. So, I am so proud to be the coach to bring it back."

The Crimson Tide stacked its lineup with three first team All-Americans in the top three spots in the lineup. Each took an early 1-up lead as the Wildcats were sluggish off the first tee.

Arizona quickly turned things around.

In the first match, Yu-Sang Hou shook off an opening hole set back to square the match two holes later. She took a 1-up lead of her own on No. 4, but Alabama's Lauren Stephenson again squared the match at No. 7. The two remained squared at the turn, where Hou went on to win four consecutive holes. She finished off the match with a 4&3 victory.

"I think my coach really helped me a lot," Hou said. "I had a really bad first hole, but she told me don't think too much, just like stroke play, just watch the speed. It really helped me a lot. After Bianca made that eagle putt we just felt like we were alive. It is amazing. And that I'm here with all of my teammates is amazing."

Alabama's Kristen Gillman took advantage of her early lead over Gigi Stoll by claiming a 3-up lead after nine holes. Stoll, who impressively won her quarterfinal and semifinal matches on Tuesday, was unable to turn things around on the back-9 as Gillman clinched a 4&3 win.

In what was perhaps the most anticipated match of the day, Bianca Pagdanganan faced off against Alabama's Cheyenne Knight in the third spot. Knight birdied the opening hole to gain the early advantage, but Pagdanganan answered with her own birdie at the second hole to even the match. Pagdanganan earned 1-up leads on the fifth and later the ninth holes, but Knight wrestled away the lead on the back nine where she went on to claim a 4&2 victory to give Alabama a 2-1 lead.

Despite trailing, the Wildcats were still in good shape with Sandra Nordaas playing solidly all day long in match No. 4. She claimed an early lead on the second hole and continued to surge, taking a 2-up lead into the closing nine holes. That lead was a 3-up after 12 holes, but Angelica Moresco fought hard to extend the match to the 18^th hole. Moresco had a birdie putt that could have forced extra holes, but it narrowly missed and Nordaas converted her par to halve the hole and win the match.

The start of the fifth and final match was hardly as dramatic as its finish. Moore took advantage of Abe's bogey to win the second hole, then picked up another hole at No. 8 for a 2-up lead after the opening nine. However, Abe quickly answered by winning three consecutive holes to rally for a 1-up lead after 12 holes. Moore responded to square the match at No. 13, but missed a couple birdie putts that would have extended her lead on the ensuing holes.

Still, Moore was able to take advantage of the 17^th hole, where Abe found trouble right of the green. Moore got up and down from the left rough and her par putt was conceded, sending the match to the 18^th hole.

On the final hole of regulation, Abe put a drive along the left side of the fairway and hit her second on the green. Her two-putt birdie sent the match to extra holes.

Replaying the par-5 18^th hole in a sudden-death match, both players found the fairway. Moore's second rolled just off the green to the left rough, while Abe found the front left bunker. Both players played solid third shots to give them birdie putts. Abe went first, missing just right of the cup. Moore followed with a pure stroke that found the center of the cup.

"When I got to one down, I just told myself there is a lot of golf left," Moore said. "Anything can happen. Just keep making pars and keep hitting good shots. On 13, I made a really good par save and just battled it out. I just kept breathing, and my assistant coach [Derek Radley] he was by my side the whole time and was with me no matter what would have happened. So, I can thank him enough."

Of course, drama was theme the last 48 hours for the Wildcats, who needed a playoff just to qualify for the match play portion of the championship. Pagdanganan's eagle on the final hole of stroke play Monday forced a sudden-death playoff with Baylor for the final spot in match play. The Wildcats advanced on the second playoff hole.

"Who knew that that putt could go a long way," Pagdanganan said after the championship. "It was amazing. Going into this hole [18] I had no idea where we were at. My mindset was get it close to the hole. And it fell in. I'm glad that it happened. But ever since that putt, it helped pumped my teammates up and I think that is what helped get us here."

Once in the match play portion of the championship, Arizona kept its momentum rolling. The Wildcats, seeded No. 8 for match play, upset No. 1 seed UCLA, 3-2, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. They returned in the afternoon to dispatch No. 5 seed Stanford, 4-1, and earn a spot in the finals to face No. 2-seed Alabama.

The championship is the third in program history and the first since 2000 when Ianello was a member of the team. The Wildcats first brought the title trophy back to Tucson in 1996.

"This year it has been an interesting year, but with the talent of these five young women, I knew anything was possible," Ianello said. "We played solid this entire spring and we didn't play our best, so in my gut I still felt we had something out there. And so when we got here, getting through Regionals can be a bear. When we got here, I knew anything was going to be possible."

The University of Arizona has now 22 team national championships, with the golf title being the first since 2012 when baseball won the College World Series.
 
Arizona vs. Alabama National Championship Match
Yu-Sang Hou def. Lauren Stephenson, 4&3
Kristen Gillman def. Gigi Stoll, 4&3
Cheyenne Knight def. Bianca Pagdanganan, 4&2
Sandra Nordaas def. Angelica Moresco, 1 UP
Haley Moore def. Lakareber Abe, 19 holes

Arizona's WGCA Honorable Mention All-Americans
Bianca Pagdanganan, junior
Haley Moore, junior
Yu-Sang Hou, freshman