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Site: The Omni, Atlanta Tournament MVP: Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech In her senior season, Swoopes dominated women's hoops like no one had before. Coming off a 31-point, 11-rebound performance versus Vanderbilt in the semis, Swoopes scored 47 to cap Tech's first Final Four appearance with a national title. "You don't appreciate Sheryl Swoopes until you have to stop her," said Buckeyes coach Nancy Darsch after the final. "We had made some plans to contain her. We wanted to rotate people on her, which we did. We tried trapping in a 2-3 zone, which we've never done before for an individual. We even called it '22' since that's her number. But she answered everything we tried." High Scorer: Swoopes averaged 35.4 points over five games. They Said It: "When I'm shooting well, it's like the basket is as big as this table," Swoopes said after winning the championship, referring to a table for six. "I can't seem to miss." Interesting Fact: Swoopes' mother, Louise, left the state of Texas for the first time, driving 19 hours to attend the Final Four. Firsts: Like Texas Tech, Ohio State made its first Final Four appearance. SI's Take: "The sad fact remains that because there is no professional basketball league for women in the U.S., Swoopes and others who played in Atlanta will now disappear from view. Swoopes, though, hopes to reappear in three years as a member of the U.S. Olympic team." Over the Line: A bookie in Las Vegas issued the first-ever betting line on a women's Final Four, making Vanderbilt a four-point favorite in the semis over Texas Tech. Record-Setters: Besides obliterating the tournament record for scoring average, Swoopes also scored the most points in a single tournament, with 177. Her 47 points were the most ever scored in an NCAA basketball championship game, women's or men's; the old mark of 44 was set by UCLA's Bill Walton in 1973. In addition, Swoopes also set the free-throw percentage mark with 93.4 percent made (57-for-61). All-Tournament Team: Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech; Krista Kirkland, Texas Tech; Nikki Keyton, Ohio State; Katie Smith, Ohio State; Heidi Gillingham, Vanderbilt
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