DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703270648

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CINCINNATI                        LENGTH:   41 lines

MILLION-DOLLAR SHOOTER GETS WITH NANCY

It was close to 10 p.m. when Heather Jankovich hung up her basketball sneakers for the night in favor of filet mignon via room service.

Jankovich is the Norfolk elementary school teacher who has a chance to win $1 million if she lands a 3-point basket Friday night at Xavier University. The contest, officially called the White Rain 3-Point Challenge, will be held at approximately 8:30 p.m. in between the two women's Final Four games being played at nearby Riverfront Coliseum.

Before arriving in the city today, Jankovich, who had never shot a basketball before, felt she would probably have to settle for the $50,000 consolation prize, money she will win without making the shot.

That all changed when she met her coach - Basketball Hall ofFamer and ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman-Cline. Lieberman-Cline and Jankovich spent three hours working on treys at Xavier, and followed that up with a whirlwind of interviews.

``After working with her, I feel I have a good chance,'' Jankovich said from her downtown hotel room.

``I'm bonding with my ball right now. They say every ball has a different feel, and I'm getting used to mine.''

Jankovich said she barely slept last night after watching TV news interviews of herself back home in Norfolk. Arriving in Cincinnati this morning, she was greeted by a stretch limo and whisked to Xavier to meet Lieberman-Cline.

Before lunch, Jankovich said she made 3 of 10 from the perimeter; after lunch at a different hoop - not so good.

``I did much better at one net than the other,'' she said. ``And I have a feeling come Friday night, I'll be at the wrong end.'' ODU show tonight at 7 on WTKR

WTKR will air ``Lady Monarchs: Road to the Final Four'' at 7 p.m. from the station's auditorium in downtown Norfolk. Sports director John Castleberry and Jane Gardner will co-host the special.

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