Nov. 24, 2001 – The University of Texas opened the women's "St. Thomas Division" of the Paradise Jam 2001 NCAA basketball tournament with a victory over the University of Wisconsin, 75-70, Saturday afternoon at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center.
In the day's second contest, the University of Southern California stunned 12th-ranked University of Florida, 71-68.
The Longhorns take on the Trojans Sunday at 8:45 p.m. in the division tournament championship game that will be a rematch of the 1986 NCAA national championship. The Badgers, ranked 23rd in the Associated Press poll, will meet the Gators in the consolation contest, which is to start at 6:30 p.m.
Two teams from the WNBA, the Portland Fire and the Houston Comets, have scouts at the tournament.
The general admission of $10 for V.I. residents is good for both of Sunday's games.
University of Texas 75, University of Wisconsin 70
The UT-Wisconsin game was action-packed and intense. The Longhorns used a 12-0 run in the final three minutes of the first half with three freshmen — Kala Bowers, Heather Schreiber and Mercedes Williams — on the floor to get within two points on the Badgers, who had been leading up to then, 34-20.
The freshmen for the Badgers did well, themselves; first-year forward Ebba Gebisa had 6 points and five rebounds in just nine minutes on the court in the first half. That performance earned her a start in the second half. "Ebba did what we expected her to do," Badgers head coach Jane Albright said after the gane. "She and all of our freshmen will play key roles for us and will start in the future."
The Longhorns gained inspiration from the enthusiastic crowd in the closing minute of the game. Texas senior point guard Kenya Larkin showed leadership and poise down the stretch as she sank four free throws in the final 86 seconds. Teammate Stacy Stephens grabbed four of her game-high 13 rebounds in the final three minutes, too.
"Texas played good transition defense down the stretch," Albright said. "They dominated the boards. We were outrun and outplayed."
Texas head coach Jody Conrady credited her players' concentration for the win. "The Badgers are huge and have more size and bulk," she said. "A close game is decided by rebounds and free throws. Experience is very important in close games."
The leading scorers for the Longhorns were Stephens with 17 points and Larkin with 14 points and six assists. Top scorers for the Badgers were Tamara Moore with 17 points and Jessie Stomski with 16 points and seven rebounds. "We played well down the stretch but we need to start better," Stephens stated.
University of Southern California 71, University of Florida 68
In the USC-Florida contest, the Gators' poor shooting from the free-throw line — 56 percent — led to their defeat at the hands of the Trojans.
Florida took the lead three times in the game, for a total of 51 seconds: 2-0 in the first half, 58-56 with 7:37 left, and 60-59 another 41 seconds after that. The Gators' Brandi McClain managed to get off a 3-point attempt that missed at the buzzer as time expired.
The Trojans, who shot 50 percent from the field for the game, held on because they controlled the boards, outrebounding the Gators, 43-36. "We're pretty good, but young, and we need to get our own identity," USC coach Chris Gobrecht said after the game.
Aisha Hollans led USC with 29 points and nine rebounds while teammate Ebony Hoffman contributed 10 points to the victory.
"We lost because we can't rebound," disappointed Florida coach Carol Ross said afterward. "We're not a good team. We need to commit to playing 40 minutes."
Monique Cardenas led Florida with 18 points, with Vanessa Hayden adding 15 points and nine rebounds.
With the Trojans advancing to tournament championship play against Texas on Sunday, the game will be a rematch of the 1986 NCAA national championship.
Texas, with an awesome 34-0 record, won that championship game, 97-81, which featured Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper against Kamie Ethridge and Fran Harris. These teams are two traditional powers in women's basketball and a possible sign of things to come.
