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NCAA Basketball Scoreboard: Recap

Recap | Box Score | Today's Scoreboard

Purdue 88, Xavier (OH) 78

Posted: Tuesday March 27, 2001 12:53 AM

Xavier (OH) Related Info: Team Page Conference Page City Page: • Cincinnati Message Boards: • NCAA

Purdue Related Info: Team Page Conference Page City Page: • West Lafayette Message Boards: • NCAA

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Ticker) -- Kelly Komara filled in for injured point guard Erika Valek and helped lead Purdue to the Final Four for the second time in three years.

Komara scored 20 points to lead five players in double figures and added five assists and four steals as the third-seeded Boilermakers ended Xavier's "Cinderella" run through the NCAA Tournament with an 88-78 victory in the Mideast Region final.

Valek tore her right ACL in the regional semifinals against Texas Tech, forcing Komara to move over from her shooting guard position. But the 5-7 junior, one of three holdovers from Purdue's 1999 national championship team, made 6-of-13 shots, including 3-of-6 3-pointers, and was 6-of-7 from the line.

Katie Douglas added 19 points and eight assists, Camille Cooper scored 16 points and freshman Shereka Wright chipped in 14 for the Boilermakers (30-6), who became the first team to reach the Final Four under three different coaches.

Purdue won a regional final under Lin Dunn in 1994, captured the title under Carolyn Peck in 1999 and will head to St. Louis under Kristy Curry.

Taru Tuukkanen led all scorers with 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds for Xavier (31-3), which owned the nation's longest winning streak at 21 games. The Musketeers were coming off Saturday's 80-65 upset of top-seeded Tennessee but struggled after Jennifer Phillips was hit with her fourth foul midway through the second half.

Xavier had a 58-55 lead when Phillips exited, but Douglas tied it with a 3-pointer and Wright made two free throws with 6:55 remaining to put Purdue ahead for good, 64-63.

Douglas and Xavier's Jennifer Parr traded 3-pointers before the Boilermakers used a 7-0 run to pull away. Douglas made 11 free throws in the final 2:03 to seal the win and a meeting with Southwest Missouri State on Friday.

Freshman Shalicia Hurns contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds for Purdue, which shot 44 percent (27-of-61), forced 19 turnovers and outscored the Musketeers from the line, 28-12.

Nicole Levandusky had 19 points and 10 boards and Parr finished with 14 points for Xavier, which also shot 44 percent (27-of-61).