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Boilermakers return home
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -- The Purdue women's basketball team returned home to about 200 cheering fans Monday, one day after the Boilermakers lost 68-66 to Notre Dame in the national championship game. "They accomplished more than what people gave them credit for," said Chris Foley, one of those who stood outside the Purdue airport terminal where the team plane landed shortly before 2 p.m. "My heart breaks for those girls, but they're leaving us with hope for the future. All the fans are so proud of them." The crowd, many wearing Purdue's colors of old gold and black, stood patiently with cameras and placards that read, "Purdue's Arch Angels, You're No. 1 With Us," and "Welcome Home, Purdue's Angels." The players deplaned about 100 yards away from the fans, who began chanting "You're Number 1!" and "Way to go, Boilers ... way to go!" Five Purdue seniors -- All-American Katie Douglas, Camille Cooper, Candi Crawford, Monique Langston and Shinika Parks -- ended their careers Sunday night having set a new Big Ten record for victories in a career -- 111. This year's team went 31-7 and won the Big Ten regular-season championship. The players gave high-fives to the fans, while Douglas, who missed the last shot Sunday night, and others signed autographs and thanked individuals for their support. Dorothy Hinchman, of West Lafayette, was like many of those in the crowd. She came dressed in Purdue colors, carried Purdue pon-poms and drove to the airport in a gold-and-black car decorated with Purdue posters. She calls it her Purduemobile. "This team is really special," she said, "especially because it came through so much adversity and still did such an exceptional job. I'm just so proud of them."
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