UW HAS ENOUGH AT END
BADGERS BLOW 25-POINT LEAD BEFORE PREVAILING IN 2
OTS
Wisconsin State Journal
Nov 29, 1999
Common sense demands a rational explanation for the chaos that transpired
here Sunday afternoon. Problem is, there was nothing common or rational
about it.
Ever see a team blow a 25-point lead in the second half and leave the court
in ecstasy? Ever see a game go into overtime on consecutive three-point
shots - both off the glass - in the final 13 seconds? Ever see a Jekyll
and Hyde show in high-tops?
A small crowd at the Louis Brown Athletic Center saw all that and more
Sunday, when the 25th-ranked University of Wisconsin women's basketball
team overcame fatigue, foul trouble and a near-fatal collapse to edge Northeastern,
81-80, in a double-overtime thriller at the Coca-Cola Classic.
"This is a really big win for us," UW coach Jane Albright said. "I don't
think we'll really know how big it is until later in the year."
Junior forward LaTonya Sims staged the final heroics for Wisconsin (3-1).
She sent the game into the second overtime by hitting a tough fade-away
with 3.2 seconds left, then scored the winning basket on a strong drive
with 8 seconds to play in the second OT.
Northeastern (2-3) had one last chance after that, but UW guard Tamara
Moore deflected a pass into the high post and Wisconsin - which had built
a 43-18 lead early in the second half - escaped.
"In my mind, we didn't even come out and play in the first half," Huskies
coach Joy Malchodi said. "I told them in my 20 years at Northeastern that
we've had worse teams, but I was really questioning how good this one was
because I've never been so embarrassed by a team's effort. It was horrendous.
"We had the night off (Saturday), Wisconsin lost a draining heartbreaker
(63-61 to No. 8 Rutgers) and we were out there like the roles were reversed."
Forward Lani Lawrence and point guard Tesha Tinsley dialed the wake-up
call, scoring 36 of Northeastern's 43 points in the second half. Malchodi
scrapped her spread offense for a high-low set featuring her two stars,
and the Huskies looked like a team with four returning starters from last
year's America East Conference champion.
UW guard Kelley Paulus sat out after sustaining a concussion Saturday,
freshman center Nina Smith fouled out with 11:36 left in regulation and
Northeastern eventually took advantage of the Badgers' tired legs.
Sophomore forward Jessie Stomski led Wisconsin with 24 points - 12 in the
two overtimes - and grabbed 10 rebounds. Sims finished with 22 points and
6 boards while Moore had 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Their efforts would have been in vain, however, without a game- saving
shot by guard Kyle Black. After Tinsley sank an improbable 3- point bomb
off the glass to give Northeastern a 59-56 lead with 13 seconds to play
in regulation, Black banked in her own 3-pointer from the left wing with
5 seconds left to force OT.
"I knew we needed a 3-pointer," Black said after UW improved its overtime
record since last season to 7-1. "I felt like I was open, I took the shot
and just prayed that it would go in. After I made it I couldn't believe
it, because I thought it was the ugliest shot I've ever taken."
The Badgers trailed throughout the first overtime until Tinsley missed
a free throw with 16 seconds left and Sims' fade-away tied the score, 70-70.
In the second OT, a missed free throw by Wisconsin set the stage again
for Sims. With 15.7 seconds left and UW trailing, 80-78, Moore made her
first foul shot but missed the second. Stomski tapped the rebound back
out and Moore - after securing the ball in a mad scramble on the floor
- called timeout.
Sims in-bounded the ball near midcourt to Stomski, got it right back, and
drove right for the winning shot.
"What I was worried about the most, and it really bit us, was Sims," Malchodi
said. "She's a 6-foot-3 wing. We have to get down on her dribble and we
have to hassle her, but she's going to shoot over whoever I put on her
because I don't have a 6-foot-3 wing. She's very tough to guard."
Although Sims was the final hero for Wisconsin, Stomski and Moore were
named to the Coca-Cola Classic all-tournament team. All three played huge
roles in averting a potentially devastating loss.
"Emotionally, when you play two games in less than 24 hours, you really
don't think about it," Stomski said. "I didn't until there were about 10
minutes left in the second half. I was like, `Wow, we've been playing a
lot of basketball.' "
Little did she know those 10 minutes would turn into 20, and that Northeastern
would turn a blowout into yet another cardiac conclusion for the Badgers.
"One of the hardest things you can ever ask a team to do is play on a Saturday
night against a top team like Rutgers and then play Sunday afternoon against
a team that will win its conference," Albright said. "I'm proud of our
heart and the fact that we found a way to win this one."
WISCONSIN min fg fga ft fta reb pf a pt Moore 40 3 10 6 8 12 4 3 12 Stomski
44 7 13 10 12 10 4 1 24 N. Smith 14 3 6 0 0 1 5 0 6 Pate 27 1 2 0 0 1 3
4 2 Sims 40 9 23 3 4 6 3 1 22 C. Smith 10 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 2 Hefte 10 1 2
0 2 2 0 1 2 Black 26 2 5 0 0 5 0 3 6 Bird 16 2 4 0 0 3 1 0 4 Konieczny
23 0 1 1 2 5 3 1 1 Totals 250 29 68 20 28 52 25 14 81
NORTHEASTERN min fg fga ft fta reb pf a pt Hanewald 19 0 5 0 0 3 4 1 0
Lawrence 45 8 17 11 13 11 3 0 27 Glinton 37 5 12 0 0 6 5 1 10 Tinsley 47
9 21 5 10 5 0 7 25 Almengot 43 5 9 3 3 2 0 2 13 Kenny 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Harris 11 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 Caruso 41 0 5 0 0 2 2 2 0 Newsome 5 0 0 0 0 3
2 0 0 Totals 250 29 72 19 26 38 18 14 80
Rebounding totals include team rebounds Wisconsin 35241111 - 81 Northeastern
16431110 - 80
Three-point goals - Wisconsin 3-6 (Sims 1-2, Black 2-3, Hefte 0- 1), Northeastern
3-14 (Hanewald 0-1, Tinsley 2-5, Almengot 0-2, Harris 1-1, Caruso 0-4).
Field-goal percentages - Wisconsin .426, Northeastern .403. Free-throw
percentages - Wisconsin .714, Northeastern .731. Turnovers - Wisconsin
26, Northeastern 19.