Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 2, 1990 TAG: 9004020025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: KNOXVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Long
Stanford used the record 3-point shooting of Katy Steding and hometown favorite Jennifer Azzi to neutralize Auburn's pesky full-court press and beat the Lady Tigers 88-81 Sunday to win its first NCAA championship.
The Stanford victory completed a five-year climb under coach Tara VanDerveer and sent Auburn home as the national runner-up for the third year in a row.
Auburn had given teams fits with its full-court pressure and matchup zone throughout the tournament, but the Lady Tigers couldn't stretch it enough to handle the outside shooting of Steding, Azzi and Sonja Henning.
"We haven't been pressed very much all season and basically for a reason," VanDerveer said. "We might turn it over occasionally, but it opens things up for 3-point shooting.
"We try to attack the press like it's a fast break opportunity, where we can come down, attack it right away and shoot without people defending on Katy and Jennifer."
Steding made six 3-pointers and Azzi four in topping the previous championship game record of two by Auburn's Ruthie Bolton against Louisiana Tech in 1988.
Henning had a 3-pointer to give Stanford 11 for the game - also a record - and a record 28 for the five-game tournament series. Stanford set the old record of 22 in three NCAA games in 1988.
"I didn't feel any more comfortable today. I had a lot of jitters," said Steding, who tried 15 3-pointers. "I think Jennifer and I and Sonja just tried to let it go and stay with our shot.
"I didn't shoot very well from the three, but I shot well enough I guess."
Certainly well enough to doom Auburn's title hopes.
The Lady Tigers, who lost to Tennessee in last year's finals and to Louisiana Tech in 1988, looked as if they might finally shake their bridesmaid's garb when they rallied from an early 11-point deficit behind their own star, Carolyn Jones, to open a nine-point lead late in the first half.
But Stanford scored the final nine points to tie the score at 41, then got control of the game early in the second half.
"They had so many weapons that defensively it created problems for us," Auburn coach Joe Ciampi said. "You win championships when people stand up and come forward, and Sonja Henning really did a job for them."
Henning led Stanford with 21 points, making six of 11 shots, and also grabbed nine rebounds.
"We we're going to slough off her and see what she could do," Ciampi said. "We found out rather quickly that our game plan was in trouble."
Steding finished with 18 points and Azzi added 16. She was named the outstanding player of the Final Four. Trisha Stevens contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds.
With Stevens and Henning leading the way, Stanford outrebounded Auburn 49-36 to complement its outside shooting. The Cardinal also did a better job handling the ball against the press in the second half.
They had 11 turnovers in the first half and only two in the second. And when they beat the press, either Steding or Azzi had an open 3-point shot.
"I didn't think we were passing the ball as well as we needed to at the beginning of the game," VanDerveer said. "We tried to make some adjustments and then I thought Sonja really handled the pressure well."
Stanford finished 32-1 to conclude a five-year climb under VanDerveer. The Cardinal was 13-15 in her first season, 1985-86, but has improved each year since.
Jones led Auburn (28-7) with 24 points, 16 in the first half. Chantel Tremitiere added 17 points and C.C. Hayden 15. But Evelyn Thompson, who had been averaging 16.5 points in NCAA play, made only three of 11 shots and finished with 10.
Steding finished the five-game tournament with a record 12 3-pointers, topping the old mark of 10 by Stephen F. Austin's Mozel Brooks in 1988.
The game also produced an attendance record. There were 20,023 tickets sold and 16,595 people in the arena. The previous high for a women's championship game was 15,615 at Austin, Texas, in 1987.
Azzi was joined on the all-tournament team by Steding, Jones, Tremitiere and Louisiana Tech's Venus Lacy. AUBURN (81)
Thompson 3-11 2-2 10, Mago 2-6 0-2 4, Hayden 6-8 3-6 15, Tremitiere 7-9 1-2 17, Jones 7-17 8-9 24, Godby 4-10 1-3 9, Stevenson 1-2 0-0 2, Freeman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-63 15-24 81. STANFORD (88)
Steding 6-18 0-0 18, Zeilstra 2-8 5-5 9, Stevens 6-13 4-5 16, Azzi 5-10 3-5 17, Henning 6-11 8-11 21, Whiting 3-6 1-5 7, Richards 0-0 0-0 0, Parson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-66 21-31 88.
Halftime-41-41. 3-point goals-Auburn 6-12 (Thompson 2-2, Tremitiere 2-2, Jones 2-6, Godby 0-1, Stevenson 0-1), Stanford 11-26 (Steding 6-15, Azzi 4-8, Henning 1-3). Fouled out- Thompson, Godby, Azzi. Rebounds-Auburn 39 (Jones 9), Stanford 51 (Stevens 10). Assists-Auburn 11 (Tremitiere 5), Stanford 14 (Steding, Azzi 5). Total fouls-Auburn 25, Stanford 16. A-20,023.
by CNB