One of the greatest underdog stories in all of sports history comes to life in “Glory Road.”

It is the turbulent 1960’s and Coach Don Haskins is coaching high school girls’ basketball when he gets the chance of a lifetime, the opportunity to coach NCAA Division One Basketball. The only problem is the call comes from Texas Western University in El Paso. TWU doesn’t have much of a team. And it doesn’t have much of a facility. And it doesn’t have much of a budget for recruiting. And no self respecting Texas high school player wants to play there even if they did.

Problem? Not for Don Haskins. He and his assistant hit the road recruiting kids from as far away as New York and Detroit, returning with seven kids who know how to shoot hoops. And, oh yeah, these kids just happen to be Black, a fact that doesn’t sit too well with the still predominately segregated South. Haskins, however, doesn’t see color. He only sees the Win/Lose column on the scoreboard.

Coach Haskins’ relentless demand for perfection on the court eventually molds the individual players into to tight, cohesive unit, and the WTU Miners begin to rack up impressive wins both at home and on the road, eventually earning the right to challenge the powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats for the NCAA National Championship.

1966 was a tough time for an African-American athlete to compete in major college sports, and the Miners took their share of heat, ranging from being pelted with trash before games to having death threats. Ultimately the team’s courage paid off, shattering the color barrier in major college athletics, and opening the door of opportunity for countless hundreds of student athletes.

While “Glory Road” was based on a true story, there are some glaring, and apparently intentional, historical errors. In order to represent the stress the players were under, the screenwriters, Chris Cleveland and Bettina Gilois elected to create a couple of incendiary incidents, one involving racial epithets scrawled on the players hotel room in blood, and another where a team member is assaulted by three thugs. The film also shows the Miners run for the Championship occurring during Haskins’ first year with the school, when in fact, Haskins assumed the role of Head Coach in 1962, four years earlier. And while Haskins’ decision to play only his Black players against the all-White Kentucky team was presented as a statement of social justice, the real Haskins continually insists it was strictly a basketball decision.

“Glory Road” will inevitably be compared to “Hoosiers” and it will inevitably come up short. That said, this is still an inspiring and important story of courage, grit and determination.

“Glory Road” is rated PG, for racial issues including violence and epithets, and mild language.