Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Second-half prowess again

Ruth Riley's teammates had faith in the Player of the Year's ability to lock up the title with two free throws.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 3, 2001

ST. LOUIS -- When Notre Dame center Ruth Riley stepped to the free-throw line with 5.8 seconds remaining and a chance to win a national championship Sunday night, she was living a scene from her favorite movie.

"Is there a more fitting way, being from Indiana, than ending like a scene from the movie Hoosiers?" Riley asked. "My favorite scene from that movie is when Ollie hit those two free throws, and here I was put in the same situation. The thing going through my mind was what if someone had to ask how I felt about missing those free throws?"

Riley never will have to answer that. The Naismith Player of the Year knocked down each shot, giving Notre Dame a 68-66 win over Purdue and its first national championship.

"I knew Ruth was going to hit them both," senior forward Kelley Siemon said. "I know Ruth is a great player that comes through in huge situations, and obviously none more important than this."

The victory was the second in three days in which Notre Dame overcame a halftime deficit to win. Against Connecticut on Friday, the Fighting Irish came from 16 points down to defeat the defending national champions. They trailed by six at halftime Sunday after falling behind by as many as 12 in the first half.

"We have been a second-half team all tournament long," Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. "For us to come back from halftime deficits two times in the Final Four, I can't say enough about this team. The last two games we've really shown our character and the senior leadership has taken over. It's a storybook season with a really happy ending."

Looking at the stat sheet, it's amazing Notre Dame was the team receiving the Sears championship trophy Monday morning. The Fighting Irish trailed 16-5 eight minutes into the game, shot 35.5 percent from the field, were 0-for-5 from three-point range, committed eight turnovers and gave up 13 offensive rebounds. The team that entered the game shooting 50.8 percent from three-point range went 1-for-10 Sunday night.

Notre Dame didn't get its first lead until 2:07 remained in the game. Niele Ivey and Alicia Ratay, the team's top three-point shooters, were held to four and zero points respectively in the first half. Ivey, who sustained a badly sprained ankle in Friday's semifinals, played 40 minutes for 12 points and five rebounds.

"We couldn't have played any worse in the first half," Ivey said. "This is my team. I'm the captain. I'm the leader. This is my hometown and I was willing to do whatever I could for this team (in the second half)."

It's not like Riley's free throws were automatic. In the Big East championship game against Connecticut she made just one of two, allowing the Huskies to go down the floor and win at the buzzer.

"In that situation I did not pull through, so I've practiced since then and I was pretty confident," Riley said. "As crazy as it might sound, I wasn't really nervous."

The Notre Dame players admitted they celebrated a little too early and didn't get back on defense, which allowed Katie Douglas' attempt of a wide-open, game-tying shot for the Boilermakers.

For second-year coach Kristy Curry, the loss was a blow to a team that has played for three coaches in the past four years and suffered through numerous personal tragedies.

"We've had a lot of ups and downs," Curry said. "This program has been through so much adversity. I think that's why it hurts so bad right now. I told them they are going to walk out of here a winner. And that's what matters in the game of life."

For McGraw, who took over a floundering Fighting Irish program in 1987, the victory in her second trip to a Final Four was validation of what she has believed all along.

"I think this proves Notre Dame is not just a football school," McGraw said. "This is something we've been striving for since we joined the Big East. We've had great fan support and I've gotten so much mail and flowers from alumni across the country. I guess I think it's about time."

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright