UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, April 3, 1995
3B
Connecticut wins NCAA women's title
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — With its final victory in a magical season, Connecticut achieved something rare in NCAA women's basketball — perfection.
Top-ranked UConn capped an unbeaten season by defeating No. 3 Tennessee 70-64 yesterday to win the national championship. The Huskies (35-0) pulled it off despite the foul problems of their top three players and trailing by nine points early in the second half.
Only one other team has finished an undefeated season in the 14 years of NCAA women's basketball. Texas won the 1986 title with a 34-0 record.
The end was near for Tennessee when Connecticut's Jamelle Elliott hit a double-pump layup to tie the score at 61 with 2:20 to play. And Jennifer Rizzotti's layup with 1:53 to play put Connecticut ahead 63-61.
The Huskies then wrapped up
their first national title at the free-throw line, with Player of the Year Rebecca Lobo making four and Rizotti and Carla Berube sinking two apiece.
Early in the season, Tennessee was ranked No. 1 until losing to Connecticut 77-66 in mid-January.
Lobo, 6-foot-7 Kara Wolters and Rizzotti all got into foul trouble in the first half and spent long stretches on the bench.
But Connecticut played through its problems and sent Tennessee, a three-time national champion, back home.
After Berube made the first of her two free throws with 9.9 seconds left, Tennessee coach Pat Summit slammed her hand down on the score's table and said, "I really hate this."
Moments later, the Connecticut players were hugging each other and crying at midcourt while Tennessee players walked dejectedly to their dressing room.
Lobo led all scorers with 17 points after playing only eight minutes in the first half and was named the Final Four's outstanding player.
Rizzotti scored 15 points, Elliott 13 and Wolters 10.
Latina Davis was Tennessee's only double-figure scorer with 11 points. Dana Johnson had nine and All-American Nikki McCray scored seven.
Tennessee led 38-32 at halftime and quickly went up 41-32 on Michelle Marciniak's three-pointer 13 seconds into the second half. But Connecticut would see to it that Tennessee never got comfortable.
A key was Tennessee being unable to take control in the first half when Connecticut got into foul problems.
Lobo sat out the final 11:58 after getting her third foul, Wolters spent 3:50 on the bench after getting her second and Rizzotti spent the final 4:51 on the sidelines with three fouls. But the Lady Vols never got up by more than six.
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