ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, March 17, 1997 TAG: 9703180106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: NCAA WOMEN
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
Old Dominion's Mery Andrade missed a layup at the end of regulation but then scored five points in overtime Sunday, giving the top-seeded Lady Monarchs a 69-65 victory over Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Mideast Regional in Norfolk.
Old Dominion (31-1) trailed 57-49 with 6:30 to go, then went on an 11-2 run over the next five minutes to take the lead.
Eighth-seeded Purdue (17-11) tied the game 61-61 on a Stephanie White jumper with 12 seconds remaining, and Andrade missed her shot as time expired in regulation. Andrade then hit a 3-pointer and a field goal to give Old Dominion a 66-63 lead. Ukari Figgs hit two free throws to put Purdue within one point.
After White missed a layup with 2.8 seconds to go, Ticha Penicheiro missed a free throw but put up the rebound to cap the win.
Clarisse Machanguana led Old Dominion with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Penicheiro had 14 points and six assists, and Nyree Roberts added 13 points.
Old Dominion will play the winner of today's Marquette-Louisiana State game in the regional semifinal Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
East Regional
North Carolina 81, Michigan State 71, OT: Chanel Wright hit a 25-footer to force overtime and Tracy Reid scored nine points in the extra period as the top-seeded Tar Heels rallied from 10 points down to beat Michigan State in the second round in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Marion Jones hit a 3-pointer and Wright scored with 2.5 seconds left to tie the game at 63-63.
Michigan State led only once in overtime, 66-64 after a three-point basket by Jamie Wesley.
Reid then exploded past Michigan State defenders for a layup to tie the game and begin a 15-0 run that buried the stunned Spartans.
Jones finished with a game-high 27 points and Reid had 25 to help North Carolina stave off elimination.
Alabama 61, St.Joseph's 52: Yolanda Watkins scored 20 points and led the Crimson Tide's assault on the offensive glass in a win over St.Joseph's in the second round of the NCAA East Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The second-seeded Crimson Tide (25-6) earned its fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16 thanks in large part to a 21-12 edge in offensive rebounds. That included a three-minute stretch late in the game in which Alabama got six straight offensive boards to break the spirit of No.7 seed St.Joe's (26-5).
West Regional
Georgia 80, Arizona 74: In Athens, Ga., Kedra Holland-Corn made one free throw and Signe Antvorskov added two more in the closing seconds to preserve sixth-ranked Georgia's victory over Arizona in the second round as the Lady Dogs nearly blew a late 18-point lead.
Georgia (24-5), the No.2 seed, advanced to the region final in Missoula, Mont., next weekend. Arizona (23-8), seeded seventh, ended its most successful season with its first NCAA appearance.
Midwest Regional
Illinois 85, Duke 67: In Champaign, Ill., Ashley Berggren scored 18 points as the Illini beat the Blue Devils to advance for the first time to the round of 16 in the NCAA women's tournament.
The Illini (24-7) hadn't had a winning season, let alone an NCAA berth, in a decade. Illinois will face the winner of Monday's Connecticut-Iowa game on Saturday in Iowa City.
The closest Duke (19-11) got in the second half was 34-31 with 18:27 left on a basket by Kira Orr. But the Blue Devils didn't score again for nearly five minutes as the Illini built a double-figures lead they never relinquished.
Shea Shelved: In the midst of their crusade for a second national championship in three years, the Connecticut Huskies (31-0) found out Sunday that they will have to find ways to win without freshman sensation Shea Ralph.
The 6-foot Ralph blew out her right knee during Saturday's opening-round win over Lehigh, and is out for the season.
Ralph will undergo surgery to repair the tear in her anterior cruciate ligament at a date yet to be announced. Rehabilitation for such an injury normally ranges anywhere from four to nine months.
``That's one less thing that we have going for us. And it's a big thing,'' said UConn coach Geno Auriemma, whose team faces Iowa tonight in the second round.
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