Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 14, 1994 TAG: 9403140154
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Scouting reports on the Purdue women's basketball team were sketchy at best Sunday afternoon, after the announcement that the Boilermakers would be entertaining Radford University on Wednesday night in the NCAA Tournament.
But from Lubomyr Lichonczak's five years on the Big Ten Conference circuit as an assistant at Ohio State, the Highlanders' coach knew he could judge Purdue by the company it keeps.
"It's a big, strong, physical conference, and to win it - as Purdue did - is quite an accomplishment," he said. "It's a rock 'em-sock 'em, no blood-no foul league. But that's the way the NCAAs are, too.
"You'd better come in strong at heart."
Radford (18-11), the Big South Conference tournament champion but a No. 16 seed in the West Regional as it makes its NCAA Tournament debut, has been nothing if not strong of heart.
"We're going up there to win the thing," he said. "That's the way we approach every game. That's the only way you can approach it."
Radford upset top-seeded North Carolina-Greensboro 83-76 to win the Big South title Saturday night, the fifth consecutive championship and seventh in eight years for the Highlanders.
If the Big Ten queens are noted for their ferocity, Lichonczak has some women warriors of his own.
"Samantha Gilbert and Nicole Gardiner have been in the junior college national tournament, which is very physical, and both are veterans of international play," he said of his two New Zealand-born bangers. "Sam gets better the more physical a game gets."
Gilbert, a 5-11 forward from Auckland who was honored as a second-team GTE Academic All-American, averages 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Gardiner, another 5-11 forward, averages 11.3 points and 4.4 rebounds.
The bulk of Radford's firepower comes from guard Shannan Wilkey, who is good for 21.8 points per game and torched UNC Greensboro for 27 points. She went 9-for-17 from the floor and missed only one of nine free throws in that game.
With the exception of sophomore point guard Mindy Ballinger (9.3 ppg, 4.4 apg, 32 percent from 3-point range), Radford is a senior-oriented club. Purdue (25-4) is quite youthful, by contrast.
The Boilermakers start two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. The first-year player is also the leading scorer, 6-1 forward Leslie Johnson (18.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg). The nature of her game is best illustrated by her nickname: "Baby Barkley."
More muscle comes from 6-4 center Stacey Lovelace (11.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg).
Purdue boils its enemies on the backboards (averaging a 43-33 margin) and pickles them with defense (opponents are shooting 37 percent from the field and averaging a Big Ten-low 59 points).
Purdue beat Penn State, the top seed in the Midwest, to snap the Nittany Lions' 18-game winning streak and is 12-0 at home. The only defeats came at Penn State, on a neutral court to Ole Miss, at Iowa and at Vanderbilt. All four are NCAA Tournament invitees.
The winner of the Radford-Purdue game plays the survivor of the Washington-Boise State clash in the second round on March 19 or 20.
Lichonczak, undefeated in the postseason as Radford's coach, was somewhat surprised the Highlanders were exiled from the East, their natural region, but he was not complaining.
"When you get into the NCAA for the first time," he said, "you're happy to go where they send you."
by CNB