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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2002
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Sunday's loss to UConn makes Oklahoma 0-4 against the Huskies, but coach Sherri Coale and the OU players said they felt more pain about the breakup of the team, which includes six seniors, three starters.
Stacey Dales and LaNeishea Caufield helped Coale rebuild the program, and junior college transfer Rosalind Ross added a 3-point threat that helped the team to the Final Four six years after Coale took over.
"I couldn't be more proud of this basketball team and the season we've had and the journey that we've been on," Coale said. "I'm not sad because we lost, but because it's over. These guys are extraordinary and I knew ... that I was going to be sad (Sunday night) either way. Forever they're going to remember what it feels like to be a part of something right."
SENIOR SUPERLATIVES: Connecticut's senior class of Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones and Tamika Williams leave a lasting legacy.
They are part of a class that went 136-9 (93.8 percent), 64-2 in the Big East, 19-2 in the NCAA Tournament and 65-2 at home at Gampel Pavilion. They won two NCAA titles, had three Final Four appearances, four Big East regular-season championships and four Big East tournament titles (99-02).
RECORD WATCH: With its 82-70 win, Connecticut became the fourth women's team to go undefeated in a season and the 10th to attain a perfect season since the inception of the men's tournament in 1939.
Here are the others: San Francisco, 29-0 in 1956; North Carolina, 32-0 in 1957; UCLA, 30-0 in 1964, 30-0 in 1972, 30-0 in 1973; Indiana, 32-0 in 1976; Texas (women), 34-0 in 1986; UConn (women), 35-0 in 1995; Tennessee (women), 39-0 in 1998.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE: The flag that flew over the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 was presented as part of pregame ceremonies. An honor guard of New York and San Antonio firefighters and two players from each team accompanied it onto center court for the national anthem.
CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES: Oklahoma's final record (32-4) is a school record for most wins and fewest losses and is a Big 12 Conference record for most wins. ... The Sooners hit eight 3-pointers, second most in an NCAA women's championship game. ... OU's Ross tied Stanford's Katy Steading (1990) for most 3-pointers in two Final Four games. Both went 8-of-18. ... UConn set a Final Four record with 18 blocks.