THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 27, 1995 TAG: 9511270137
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
The last time Old Dominion and Georgia squared off, a national championship was at stake. In the finals of the Dial Classic tournament on Sunday, the only thing on the line was respect.
The second-ranked Lady Bulldogs wanted to solidify their status as one of the elite programs in the country. A win by the Lady Monarchs would elevate ODU from a team on the brink to one with a legitimate claim for national prominence.
In a tense game marked by turnovers, dismal shooting and foul trouble, ODU rallied to score nine of the last 11 points and watched as Saudia Roundtree's desperation 3-point attempt rimmed out of the basket with 3 seconds left, sealing the Lady Monarchs' 67-64 win over Georgia before a crowd of 1,364 at the field house.
``It wasn't so much offense as it was the defense of this basketball game that won it for ODU,'' said Lady Monarchs head coach Wendy Larry. ``We took an awesome basketball team and did the kinds of things to them that they usually do to others.''
It was the biggest victory for ODU (2-0) at the field house since a 72-68 win over No. 7 Ohio State in the 1985 East Regional final sent the team to the NCAA Final Four. The Lady Monarchs claimed the national championship that year with a 70-65 win - over Georgia.
ODU hadn't defeated a ranked team on its home court since beating 19th-ranked Western Kentucky during the 1988-89 season.
With the game tied at 58, Georgia (1-1) edged in front when La'Keshia Frett hit both ends of a one-and-one and Roundtree hit two free throws to put the Lady Bulldogs ahead with 2:45 left to play.
Clarisse Machanguana hit a basket from the low post to cut the lead to two. After Roundtree missed a long jumper on the other end, Sarah Willyerd set up behind the arc and buried a 3-pointer from the left side to put ODU in front 63-62.
Frett responded with a baseline jumper, and a Machanguana miss gave the Lady Bulldogs a chance to pad their lead with less than a minute remaining.
Ticha Penicheiro, guarding Georgia point guard Rachel Powell as she brought the ball over midcourt, went for the steal and cleanly tapped the ball away before driving to the basket for an uncontested layup that gave ODU a 65-64 lead.
``I'd been thinking about that since the half started, that I could put more pressure on the point guard,'' said Penicheiro, who ranked 10th in the nation in steals last year. ``I just went for it. If I didn't get it it would have been a five-on-four (for Georgia).''
Roundtree missed again on a jumper just inside the arc. Penicheiro and Frett both snagged the rebound, with the ball going to ODU on alternate possession. Willyerd was fouled by Tracy Henderson and hit both ends of a one-and-one to give the Lady Monarchs a three-point lead with 14.8 seconds left.
``We had certain people play well at times, but rarely did our team play well as a unit on the offensive end,'' said Georgia coach Andy Landers. ``ODU played well. We knew they wouldn't fold . . . they just hung around and hung around until they could take advantage of us.''
ODU led 28-27 at halftime despite shooting just under 27 percent (8 for 30) from the field. Foul trouble made Frett a nonfactor in the opening period; she scored only two points and sat down with her third foul with 9:42 left to play.
Willyerd, who led ODU with 14 points, was named tournament MVP. Penicheiro, Machanguana, Frett and Roundtree, who led all scorers with 22 points, were named to the all-tournament team along with Kim Brandl of Southern Methodist, which defeated Radford 86-59 in the consolation game. ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
ODU's Ticha Penicheiro, left, and Aubrey Eblin celebrate the Lady
Monarchs' stunner. Penicheiro scored one of the key baskets down the
stretch after a steal near midcourt.
by CNB