|
 |  |
|
AD PARTNERS
|  |
Site: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Mo. Tournament MVP: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee. Tennessee dominated Louisiana Tech, racing to a 23-point halftime lead. Holdsclaw scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished off six assists. Teammate Tamika Catchings led all scorers with 27 points. And Kellie Jolly added a career-best 20 points, including four three-pointers to dash the Lady Techsters' hopes for a comeback. High Scorer: Holdsclaw averaged 26.3 points over six games. They Said It: "We got beat by the best women's team I've personally ever seen," said Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore, who had been to the NCAA title game four times. Interesting Fact: Including the 1998 title, Holdsclaw won eight in a row: Three NCAA titles, four New York state high school titles at Christ the King, and an eighth-grade championship in Queens, N.Y. Surprise: In the final game, Holdsclaw scored more points in the first half (16) than Louisiana Tech did as a team (15). SI's Take: "Could the Lady Vols become the UCLA of women's basketball and match the Bruins' streak of seven consecutive championships? They took another step in that direction with their resounding victory, which was something worth celebrating as the night ticked away. But first there was one little thing Chamique Holdsclaw had to attend to. Before the Final Four she had written '96 '97 and a ? on her right shoe. Was there ever really any question?" All in the Family: Tennessee freshman forward Tamika Catchings played in front of her father, Harvey, a former NBA center. Record-setters: Tennessee won all 39 of its games, and 45 in a row overall. Louisiana Tech became the first team to lose four final games. Holdsclaw made 64 field goals over a three-game sequence. All-Tournament Team: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee; Kellie Jolly, Tennessee; Tamika Cathings, Tennessee; Tamicha Jackson, Louisiana Tech; Chasity Melvin, North Carolina State.
|
