Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 3, 1994 TAG: 9404030184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The Alabama women's basketball coach had seen his 16th-ranked team climb from the brink of a blowout to threaten sixth-ranked Louisiana Tech in the first of Saturday's NCAA Tournament semifinals. Moody wished he hadn't just seen Niesa Johnson's extra-long 3-pointer bounce out and into Louisiana Tech hands in the final seconds.
The Lady Techsters' 69-66 victory before a crowd of 11,966 at the Richmond Coliseum put them in their fifth NCAA title game, at 3:45 p.m. today against fourth-ranked North Carolina.
Johnson, playing with seven stitches in her right (shooting) hand after hitting a water-faucet handle at halftime, took the inbounds pass with 14.2 seconds left and had a vision.
"It wasn't much time, and I wasn't going to risk a turnover at that time [with a pass]," Johnson said. "I tried to draw the foul to get three free throws."
Louisiana Tech's 5-foot-3 Pam Thomas, who scored a team-high 21 points, read Johnson's mind.
"I knew she wasn't going to get rid of it," said Thomas, the only senior starter for the Techsters. "I knew she would shoot the 3 or do something to get me to foul her."
Thomas didn't bite, Johnson's heave missed - "It just didn't crawl in," Johnson said - and Louisiana Tech won its 25th consecutive game, avenging a 99-77 loss to Alabama in December.
The Crimson Tide, the lowest seed left in the tournament (sixth in the Midwest Regional) finished the most successful season in school history with a 26-7 record. The Techsters (31-3) are seeking their fourth NCAA title. Their last championship, over Auburn in 1988, also was their last appearance in the title game.
Louisiana Tech tried to get there with the flair that accompanied its winning streak entering Saturday's game: an average winning margin of 28.3 points, including eight victories by 40 or more points, and killer runs of 32-2, 20-1 and 19-4.
The Techsters used a 24-10 stretch to take a 13-point first-half lead Saturday. Louisiana Tech dominated the boards, holding Alabama to two first-half offensive rebounds, and used dribble penetration to hurt the Tide's zone and man-to-man defenses.
Alabama's shots never came easy against the Techsters' man-to-man.
"We had to be . . . more disciplined than we've ever been to guard their 3-point shooters," Thomas said.
The Tide, which had trailed once in four NCAA games for a total of 10 seconds, came around. Center Yolanda Watkins, with Kevin McHale-like moves, scored seven points and Johnson six to cut the Alabama deficit to six at halftime.
Alabama pulled to 52-50 with 9 minutes, 1 second left on a Johnson jumper as the Techsters went 6:27 without a field goal.
Thomas responded with two pull-up jumpers over Madonna Thompson.
Louisiana Tech built the lead back to 65-57, but started cranking and missing long jumpers as Thompson scored six points for the Crimson Tide to make it 67-63 with 2:34 left.
Thomas missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:18 left, but Johnson's long lob entry for Watkins was picked off by Racquel Spurlock. Thomas was fouled again and made one of two, giving the Techsters a 68-63 lead with 1:01 left.
Thomas then fouled Alabama's Betsy Harris - the Southeastern Conference's single-season 3-point record-holder - beyond the arc. Harris made all three free throws, pulling the Tide to 68-66 with 49.9 seconds left.
Thomas missed a pull-up jumper and Alabama called time out with 17.9 seconds left. The inbounds play called for Harris to get the ball on the right wing in 3-point territory with options to shoot or pass to Watkins or Johnson.
"Just bad luck struck," said Harris, who caught the ball with her foot on the sideline.
Thomas, fouled again, made only one of two again. But Johnson couldn't lift her team with the last shot.
"We didn't really get the ball out and push the ball up the floor as hard as we could," Moody said. "We got the ball inside an awful lot and really didn't capitalize."
Watkins was 4-for-18 from the field, mostly from point-blank range.
"I thought that was such a big key," Barmore said.
by CNB