Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 9, 1993 TAG: 9303090110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCK HILL, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
UVA WOMEN PREVAIL
There was a passing of the torch Monday night as Virginia turned to a 6-foot-6 Californian to capture the ACC women's basketball championship.After UVa's much-celebrated Burge twins had fouled out, freshman Jeffra Gausepohl scored 14 points in overtime to lead the Cavaliers past Maryland 106-103 in triple overtime.
Gausepohl, who had one point in regulation, went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the second and third overtimes, including two one-and-ones in the final 26 seconds.
"I have a lot of confidence in my free-throw shooting," said Gausepohl, who was 14-of-21 before Monday night. "It's one of my strongest points. I just willed it in."
It was the highest-scoring game in the 16-year history of the ACC Tournament and only the second title game to go into overtime. Virginia, which had never won the tournament before 1990, claimed its third championship in four years.
Maryland seemed headed for its ninth title in 10 trips to the final before UVa senior Dena Evans hit a 3-pointer - the Cavaliers' only 3-pointer of the game - with 12 seconds remaining in regulation.
Evans, the hero of UVa's semifinal victory over Clemson, also bailed out the Cavaliers in the first overtime when she rebounded a missed free throw and stuck a short jumper to make it 79-79.
It appeared Evans had won the game for Virginia in the second overtime, with two one-and-ones in the final 14 seconds, but Lena Patterson banked in a 3-pointer for Maryland to make it 91-91.
By that time, the Burge twins were long gone, as were four Maryland players who had fouled out. ACC player of the year Heather Burge fouled out with 32 seconds left in regulation after scoring 22 points in 18 minutes.
Evans, who played the entire 55 minutes, finished with 19 points and was named tournament most valuable player. Her lone slip came when she missed a free throw in the third overtime with 11 seconds left and UVa leading 104-101, but Gausepohl grabbed the rebound.
Gausepohl, whose father played at VMI, scored 12 points in the Cavaliers' 74-46 victory over Wake Forest but did not play in the semifinals. Her first appearance Monday came when she took two free throws when Wendy Palmer was injured in the first half.
She might not have played in the second half if not for the foul problems of the Burge twins, who share Gausepohl's hometown, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
For most of the three overtimes, UVa's lineup consisted of freshmen Gausepohl and Jenny Boucek, sophomores Amy Lofstedt and Charleata Beale and Evans, a veteran of three Final Fours.
"Dena is just a real story on our team" UVa coach Debbie Ryan said. "She has just taken these kids and just yanked them through the season. She was unbelievable tonight; I just didn't see a time when I could take her out."
With the Burge twins sidelined, Evans continued to feed Gausepohl and the 6-foot-1 Lofstedt in the post. Lofstedt had 12 of her 18 points in overtime, including seven in the third overtime.
"I wouldn't have thought in my wildest dreams that Amy and me would be in there at the end," Gausepohl said, "but I think part of my composure came from high school. Our team was really, really good."
After moving from Pennsylvania, Gausepohl played her final two years of high school at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, which finished 30-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the country last year.
"I didn't see any pressure on her face at all," Ryan said. "I wasn't sure whether I wanted to change defenses at one point because I didn't know if Jeffra could make the switches. She just piped up in the huddle: `I can make the switch.' "
It was the second three-overtime game for Ryan, whose 1991 team won 123-120 at North Carolina State, "but this was the best game I've ever been involved in," she said. "This was for the championship."
\ see microfilm for box score