Lady cagers' fate decided in final moments

By DONNIE COLLINS
Collegian Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- The first 39 minutes and 35 seconds were interesting enough.

After all, No. 15 Penn State and Illinois had been slugging it out for that long in a crucial semifinal battle in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament, but settled nothing. The score was deadlocked at 75-75 in a game that was atypical from any contest either team had experienced all season. Indeed, strange things were happening under the roof at the RCA Dome.

Usually dependant on their strong post game, the Fighting Illini received just nine points from forward Susan Blauser, and center Alicia Sheeler failed to muster a single point. The offensive load was left to freshman reserve guard Allison Curtin, who scored 23 points.

The Lady Lions also received offensive contributions from unlikely sources. Point guard Helen Darling scored just five points, but her understudy at the point, Chrissy Falcone, scored nine points to lead all Penn State players at the half.

However, all the craziness that occurred during the game until Penn State coach Rene Portland called a timeout with 25.8 seconds left, was effectively just for show. It would be the last 25 seconds that would decide which team would have a chance to knock off No. 1 Purdue in the tournament finals, and which team would be sent home early.

During the timeout, Illinois coach Theresa Grentz sought the answer to one pressing question: which of her young guards would step up and volunteer to accept the defensive assignment to cover Darling? It was Curtin who accepted the challenge.

"When I had them in the huddle, I said, 'Who's taking this one, who's doing this?' " Grentz recalled. "They responded, as opposed to having two blank stares looking back at me.

"(Curtin's) a freshman. She doesn't know how good Helen is yet."

Slightly over 25 seconds remained. Penn State broke its huddle on the sideline. With a sound of the referee's whistle, guard Lisa Shepherd's inbound pass found Darling, who dribbled it at the top of the key.

Fifteen seconds to play. Darling dribbled into the lane and sent up a shot that hit the back of the iron. Luckily for the Lions, the ball fell into the outstretched arms of center Andrea Garner, but her shot attempt was blocked by Illinois forward Tauja Catchings.

"We wanted (Darling) to eat a little bit of the clock up," Portland said. "But we went down and actually got two shots off. I think the last one we got fouled."

Curtin recovered Catchings' block and advanced the ball past the midcourt line before calling timeout.

Eight seconds left. The only question left to be answered for Grentz would be which of her players would take the final shot that could send her team to the title game.

This time, Catchings got the nod.

After the inbound pass and a subsequent toss to Blauser, the ball finally found the hands of Catchings, who drove to the hoop. Her jump shot nailed the backboard before nestling into the net, giving Illinois a 77-75 advantage.

"I felt pretty good when it went up," Catchings said. "When it went through the hoop, I felt really good.

"I wasn't even really thinking. I knew we needed the score. I just went up strong and took it."

Finally, 1.8 seconds left. Darling got the ball to Shepherd, passed the midcourt line, but Shepherd's heave, much like her team, fell short of its intended target.

"Obviously," Portland said. "We're not in the position we'd like to be in right now."