NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Semifinal #2: Washington University (Mo.) Defeats NYU, 72-53
Box Score/Play-by-PlaySPRINGFIELD, Mass., March 16, 2007 – Washington University in St. Louis sophomore forward Jaimie McFarlin (Monroe, N.Y.) led all players with 22 points and 15 rebounds on near-perfect 10-of-12 shooting from the floor as the Bears defeated the Violets of New York University (NYU), 72-53, this evening in the semifinals of the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship hosted by Springfield College at Blake Arena.
Washington University (25-5) moves on to face DePauw University for the national title tomorrow in a 3:05 p.m. tip-off. The game will be televised live by CSTV. The Tigers of DePauw University defeated the University of Mary Washington in an earlier semifinal this afternoon, 67-61. NYU and Mary Washington will square off for the consolation game at 12:00 p.m.
Washington University senior center Rebecca Parker (Prarie Village, Kan.) also added a double-double in the victory, netting 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. First-year guard Zoe Unruh (San Francisco, Calif.) chipped in with 11 points off the bench for the Bears.
NYU (27-3) was led by senior guard Stephanie Ryba (New Britain, Conn.) with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals. Senior forward Karen Bachman (Avon, Conn.) added 13 points, four rebounds and four steals. Sophomore forward Jessica McEntee (Flushing, N.Y.) paced the Violets with seven rebounds.
Washington University opened the game on a 10-4 run and led by as many as 13 (30-17) with 2:44 left in the half. At the break, the Bears held on to a nine-point advantage, leading 32-23. NYU opened the second stanza on an 8-2 run to pull within three (34-31) with 17:38 left in regulation. After a Washington timeout, the Bears responded by building 14-point lead (50-36) with 9:59 left to play.
From that point on, the Violets were unable to get closer than seven points as Washington University cruised to the 72-53 semifinal victory. McFarlin, commenting on her 15-rebound performance, said, “When I rebound, I get that unconscious feeling similar to when a three-point shooter gets hot. When things are going well, the ball just bounces to me like a magnet.”
22-year Washington University Head Coach Nancy Fahey, who took the Bears to four consecutive national championships from 1998-01, said, “Having been here before, I have to let my players know how special this time in their lives is. My team has to realize what this means because it is a special feeling, and you may never get back."
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Head Coach Naomi Graves
Entering her 19th season as head coach in 2009-10, Naomi Graves has directed her squads to an impressive 266-117 record (.695 winning percentage) since joining the Division III ranks in 1995. Graves has led the Pride to eleven post-season bids in the past 14 years, including five berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the past nine years.
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