Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1993 TAG: 9303100089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
PRACTICE EXTREMELY REWARDING
As she waited for the official to hand her the ball for the most important free throws of her brief college career, Jeffra Gausepohl was thinking of ice cream."As soon as I was strong enough to get the ball to the basket, my dad made me work at shooting from the free-throw line," said Gausepohl, a 6-foot-6 freshman basketball player at Virginia. "It used to be, `Make two free throws, get ice cream.'
"The first time I got to the line in overtime, that's actually what I did to calm myself down. I told myself, Gausepohl `Make the shots and Dad will get you some ice cream.' "
Gausepohl didn't get the ice cream, but she made the shots - eight straight in the second and third overtimes as Virginia defeated Maryland 106-103 on Monday for the ACC championship at Winthrop (S.C.) Coliseum.
"I never, ever thought it would be me [in that position]," said Gausepohl, whose parents were in the crowd, "but my dad kinda called it. He said, `Just watch, Jeffra, you're going to get in and hit the game-winning shot.' "
Maryland led 101-100 in the third overtime before Gausepohl was fouled while shooting and made two free throws with 43 seconds left. She added four more free throws in two bonus situations.
You might say free-throw shooting is in her blood. Gausepohl's father, Jeff, was a 6-3 starting forward on the VMI team that won the Southern Conference championship in 1964. He led the Keydets in free-throw percentage.
"From the time I was a little girl, 3 years old, he used to take me to the gym with him," Jeffra said. "My dad's focus was, `A big man's no good if you can't make free throws.' "
Jeffra was born in San Jose, Calif., where her father worked for DuPont. She came to UVa's attention when she spent her first two years of high school outside Philadelphia. She moved to Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., two years ago.
"A lot of kids who end up in California don't want to leave," said Gausepohl, who did not turn 18 until January, "but my vision of college was bricks and ivy and pillars, not stucco and palm trees."
No team in the country is as deep in the post as Virginia, which could afford to lose 6-5 twins Heather and Heidi Burge to fouls Monday night and not miss a beat. Moreover, 6-2 freshman Wendy Palmer sprained an ankle in the first half and did not return.
Palmer, who was 0-for-4 on free throws, was injured while shooting, and UVa coach Debbie Ryan summoned Gausepohl to shoot the free throws.
"I wanted to say, `Wait a minute; I haven't warmed up," said Gausepohl, who made only one of her first three free throws.
Gausepohl had not played more than 11 minutes in any game and was averaging 2.8 points until she scored 12 points in UVa's 74-46 victory over Wake Forest in the first round. She played 21 minutes in the championship game, including all of the second and third overtimes.
Gausepohl, with 15 points, was one of three Cavaliers with career highs; the others were sophomore Amy Loftstedt with 18 and freshman guard Jenny Boucek with 15. Boucek, who had not scored in double figures in consecutive games all season, did it three straight times in the tournament.
Boucek was voted second-team all-tournament, as was UVa senior Dena Evans, who was chosen the most valuable player. Heather Burge, a spectator for most of the final, was the Cavaliers' lone first-team selection.
"In a word, it was frustrating," said Burge, who scored 22 points in 18 minutes. "It was hard to sit there and watch, but you had to feel good for Jeffra. I might ask her for some tips."
Burge, the ACC player of the year, is hitting fewer than than 50 percent of her free throws, and the Cavaliers were only 14-of-29 Monday before making 19 of their last 24.
"When we do [free-throw] drills, we go from basket to basket, and you can't go to the next basket until you hit so many at the line," Ryan said. "Jeffra is always one of the first ones done."
Gausepohl once hit 20 free throws with her eyes closed, family sources report.
"I don't play her for ice cream anymore," her father said.