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Seniors are guiding Notre Dame
McGraw: Guard play critical against Lady Vols
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Tennessee is tough to beat in terms of women's basketball seniority.
Notre Dame is going to try anyway.
Seniors Charel Allen and Tulyah Gaines have led the fifth-seeded Fighting Irish (25-8) back to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, where they will face top-seed UT (32-2) at 9:30 p.m. Sunday (TV: ESPN2) in Oklahoma City.
No. 2 Texas A&M and No. 3 Duke meet at 7 in the first game of a Midwest Regional doubleheader at the Ford Center. The winners play Tuesday for a trip to the Women's Final Four in Tampa, Fla.
Allen scored a career-high 35 points while Gaines recorded seven assists and three steals as Notre Dame rallied in regulation and overtime to overcome No. 4 seed Oklahoma, 79-75, Tuesday night.
Sophomore Ashley Barlow could take a bow for the outcome as well. She scored 16 points and pulled off two crucial steals in overtime. Yet she gave the credit to the upperclassmen,
"They lead us out there, as we go out there on the court,'' Barlow said. "They make big, big plays for us."
The Lady Vols can relate to this sort of veteran influence. Their senior trio of Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike are riding point on the team's tournament march.
"It's the most important thing, leadership,'' Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. "I've always thought that on any team, good leadership is the only way you can win. You absolutely can't win without it.
"When you have seniors who are good leaders and the team respects them, they are the energy and heart and soul of the team. It makes everybody player harder because nobody wants to lose for them."
McGraw said that the latter sentiment was in play during Tuesday's multiple comebacks.
"They (the players) kept talking about 'Let's do this for the seniors.' " McGraw said.
Allen and Gaines also are reinforcing McGraw's belief in the importance of good guard play. There has been some serious competition for this viewpoint. Notre Dame's national championship in 2001 centered around the accomplishments of center Ruth Riley, the Naismith Award winner that season.
"When we won the championship with Ruth Riley, I thought a strong post player was the key to that but we did have good guards around her,'' McGraw said. "But now I think the guard play is critical."
The seniors stressed the importance of making the Sweet 16 because it was something they hadn't achieved in their careers. Notre Dame last reached this point of the tournament in 2004.
"I think it was kind of one of those things where you're almost afraid to say it out loud because if it doesn't come true then you feel like your season wasn't a success,'' McGraw said. "We felt like we needed to take another step."
The next step will require a suitable senior encore, beginning with Allen. She tried to downplay her scoring outburst against Oklahoma.
"The 'W' that's all that counts to me,'' said Allen, who scored 17 points in Notre Dame's 87-63 loss to Tennessee in South Bend, Ind., Jan. 5.
There could be more points where those 35 came from, Barlow said. She referred to Allen's high school career in Monessen, Pa., when she scored 3,110 points.
Of more relevance is the 19.8 points the 5-foot-11 guard has averaged during the past five games, which is nearly five points better than her season average of 15.1.
"She can score; she can score,'' Barlow said. "She can do that each and every night. She can put up those kind of numbers any given night."
Notebook: UT coach Pat Summitt said that she will stick with senior Alberta Auguste in the starting lineup. "I told her that I've been impatient with her,'' Summitt said. ... Lady Vols assistant coach Nikki Caldwell, who has been contacted by Memphis about its head coaching vacancy, said she'll have no further discussions until after the season. ... The funeral Parker attended Thursday was for her great grandmother, not her grandmother as originally reported.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by 98reax on March 28, 2008 at 2:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK we have some pretty awesome seniors too. Namely, Nicky Anosiki. She can take over a game as in last year's title game. I understand she set the tone for that game after setting up a meeting of the minds for her team and reminding them that the National Championship was going back to Knoxville.
How about Alexis Hornbuckle's senior leadership? She showed us in the Purdue game that she was coming to play this game like a senior should. I expect a repeat performance in a showdown with the Irish.
Consider Alberta Augustie who made a few early mistakes Tuesday night and had to take a seat for a spell. I believe she will come ready to show her senior stuff Sunday, maybe holding Sherel Allen to single digits. Bird knows her college time is coming to an end soon and she still has smothering defense to show off.
Shannon Bobbitt can light it up and it is high time she did just that. She seems to thrive on the spotlight. Last year she was a huge little package of dynamite in the tournament. Bring it on Bobbitt. You are fun to watch.
I don't even want to think about Candace Parker as a senior. I keep hoping she will find a way to come back. I'm just going to keep on thinking that until I see her in a Sparks uniform this summer. Nevertheless, it's all been said regarding her leadership. All I can add is, thank you, CP3. I'm glad you chose to wear orange. Just bring your usual again Sunday.
These seniors have provided some great hoops for us fans. They've brought us a National Championship. They have made us very proud of them at times and we have been disappointed a few times with them. I have picked them apart from time to time when they did not play as well as they could have. I'm not sure I've given them enough credit for being absolutely awesome scholar athletes as well as admirable young women. I'm doing that now. Here's to you, seniors. You are champions!
Posted by LadyVolFanForever on March 28, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
98reax-WOW ! You said it all !
It has been a wonderful season but it isn't over yet. Still a little work to do.
Thanks to the Lady Vols and our great coaching staff ! You show class, grace, heart and hustle when we need it plus you are smart, proud, achieving young women. I am proud to be a Lady Vol fan.
Posted by topgun on March 28, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
98reax: nice post! Happy to read last paragraph. I see U con on the horizon!
Posted by adimatteo on March 28, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ditto,the prior posts... There will be more championships, may be years where we are not #1 or #4, but nothing changes what we have had, the program and people , the girls, and the fact that as stated above, win or lose, always first class, never change that. We have really been very spoiled, and we just need to keep enjoying it for as long as we have this entire program.
Posted by 98reax on March 28, 2008 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since there's so little activity here I will take this opportunity to confess I have been too harsh and critical of our play from time to time. Our Lady Vols have earned the respect of the nation. They are, after all, a perennial powerhouse. Pat Summitt's teams have consistently advanced deep into NCAA play garnering seven banners for their efforts. I have no reason to be bashing these ladies regardless of the outcome or the way they play the game. I have only to feel blessed to have the pleasure of watching and going along for the ride.
It cost me nothing to be a Big Orange fan. I no longer travel to games nor do I spend money on team paraphernalia because I have enough to last the rest of my days. All I invest is my time and my heart. That sound a little corny but it's true. I do love my Vols. They are my favorite entertainment. They bring out almost every emotion I have. I say all that to say this. I have absolutely NO right to bash the team, the players or the coaching staff, ever.
As I log onto the men's board today I'm stunned at the appalling comments calling for Coach Pearl's job, the bashing of some of the individual players and just the overall tone of such so-called Vols fans who yesterday spoke of how they were going to call in sick from work today to celebrate our history-making performance.
Yes, we want to be winners all the time, and Lady Vols fans have been winners the majority of the time, but the day will come again when we will have to deal with a loss. When that day comes I certainly hope I can be a good sport.
Some of you tell me that I need to give the ladies a break, it's just a game. You are so right. I engage in this critiquing routine because it is fun and I live vicariously through this forum. It's laughable to think I could ever be a college coach but it is fun to pretend and I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. I will take your advice to give it a rest because I do not want to sound like what I'm reading on the men's board this morning.
Posted by ICorangeP on March 29, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I also agree with your views 98reax, well said I say.
I think the loss by the men's team could be a blessing in disguise for the lady vols, just look at the pictures of the men with towels over their head and some crying. BAD feeling time right? Well now lady vols do YOU want to feel that way? if not now is the time to do something about it BEFORE it happens, just go out and play with the heart and passion you have done in the past and the bad memories of the mens team will become joyous memories for you. Ten years from now you will look back and remember the games with great memories not wishing "If only--"
Regardless we are with you win or loose.
GO LADY VOLS!!
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