April 04, 1993|By Julie Deardorff, Chicago Tribune.
ATLANTA — When you're Texas Tech's Sheryl Swoopes, television reporters pull you off the court seconds after you carry your team to the championship game of the NCAA tournament.
You are called the "Michael Jordan of women's basketball" by almost every opponent's coach.
And when the crowd chants your last name-which rhymes with "boo"-it fills the arena with an angry roar.
But Swoopes, used to the pressure and the Texas Tech war cry, simply glides along with the flow. The national player of the year scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in leading Texas Tech to a 60-46 win over No. 1 Vanderbilt in the NCAA women's basketball tournament Saturday at the Omni.
Texas Tech (30-3), in its first-ever Final Four appearance, will play another newcomer, Ohio State (28-3), for the national title at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Swoopes, who scored a total of 130 points in four postseason games, is about to break the tournament record for highest point total of 134, set by Tennessee's Bridgette Gordon in 1989. Her single-game career high is 53, which she set against Texas in the Southwest Conference championship, the last game before the postseason.
"I haven't found anything she can't do," said Vanderbilt coach Jim Foster before the game. After Swoopes posted up, hit jump shots, stole the ball and led the team in rebounding, he still didn't know.
Vanderbilt set two tournament records for fewest points in a half during a semifinal game with 20 in the second half, and its 46 total points tied the fewest-points record set by Tennessee in the very first Final Four game in 1982.
Heidi Gillingham led Vanderbilt's scoring with 24, but the next-highest starter was Rhonda Blades with just five. All-Southeastern Conference selection Shelly Jarrard was 0 for 10 until she hit a three-pointer late in the game.
"We were flat, and if I knew why I'd be making a lot more money doing something else in life," said Foster. "There was no rhyme or rhythm to what we did on offense."
The game highlighted Swoopes and Vanderbilt's Gillingham, two all-Americans who couldn't be more opposite in style.
Swoopes, a 6-foot forward, is a smooth, flexible player who scores by slicing around and through her opponents.
Gillingham, a 6-10 immovable force in the paint, simply goes over the top-of everyone. Her accurate, soft shot puts her hand dangerously close to the rim and is nearly impossible to block.
While Vanderbilt entered the game as the more balanced team-four players average in double figures-and Swoopes has been credited with singlehandedly carrying Texas Tech to a higher level, the teams changed roles in the second half.
Swoopes still dominated, but it was key shots by her teammates that helped turn the tide.
With 16:18 left, Krista Kirkland (14 points) hit a three to give Texas Tech a 39-30 lead. Vanderbilt whittled it to five on baskets by reserve Lisa King (seven points) and Gillingham, but Swoopes and Cynthia Clinger scored quickly to boost it back back to nine.
"When it got to crunch time, we had kids step forward and make big shots," said Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp. "Obviously, Sheryl and Krista also hit at the right time. On the other end, we scrambled well on defense and got to their shooters. We tried to double-team Gillingham whenever she had the ball."
Vanderbilt drew as close as three when Shelley Jarrard hit a long-overdue three-pointer, her only points of the day, to make it 47-44. But Swoopes took over, scoring a critical layup with 3:57 to play.
"That's basically when I decided to take charge," said Swoopes.
"A few times she just came out of nowhere for rebounds," said Foster. "They can put her anywhere and she's effective. I don't think you saw the best of her."
Perhaps she is saving it for Ohio State and the national title.
