March 20, 2004
Contact: Amanda Brickell?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />
?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women’s basketball team ended the best season in school history with forty hard-fought minutes of basketball in a 77-54 loss to No. 1 seed Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Tallahassee, Fla.
The Raiders came out hard in the first half taking a 5-4 lead on three free throws from Malissa Burke (Traverse City, Mich.) with 18:38 on the clock. The first six minutes were a close battle with three ties and three lead changes, but Tennessee put together a 16-2 run to go up 27-14 with 9:44 remaining in the first.
The Vols outscored the Raiders 19-10 in the final nine minutes to amass their largest lead of the half at 46-24 heading into the locker room. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø junior Leandra Fuller (Harrisburg, Pa.) turned away three shots in the first to break 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s season blocks record of 50. She added another swat in the second half to increase her season total to 52.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø cut the Lady Vols’ lead to 17 with a nine-point scoring run in the second thanks to break-away baskets from Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Emily Braseth (E. Grand Rapids, Mich.). Unfortunately that was as close as the Raiders would come as Tennessee came away with the 77-54 victory to advance to the second round.
Junior Milaina Lagzdins (Burlington, On.) turned in an impressive performance pacing the Raiders with 13 points and seven boards. Fuller tied her season-high with four blocks, while adding nine points and five boards to the effort.
Burke scored ten points, dished out five assists, and swiped three steals in her final game as a Raider. Braseth broke 500 points on the season with 506 this year and eight against Tennessee. Ozor contributed four points, five rebounds, and three steals to the Raider effort. She moved into third place on the school’s season steals board with 87.
Megan Ballard (Atlanta, Ga.) added some firepower off the bench with four points, two rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Meghan Curtin (Bronx, N.Y.) knocked down two threes off the bench and came away with four rebounds.
Tennessee was led by Ashley Robinson with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Tyesha Fluker and Sidney Spencer contributed 12 points apiece. Guard Shanna Zolman was the fourth and final Tennessee player in double-figures with 11 points.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø shot 25.7 percent from the floor on 19-of-74 shooting, while Tennessee hit 34-of-70 shots for a percentage of 48.6. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø committed 15 turnovers, while forcing 16, andTennessee held the edge in rebounding with 50 boards to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s 43.
Tennessee improves to 27-3 on the season, while the Raiders end the best season in school history with a school record 21 wins and ten losses.