Offensive rebounds. The ones made over and over again by Tennessee and the ones Rutgers never seemed to make. That was the story of the game played for the Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship. Rebounds made and rebounds missed. Those rebounds, and 5’ 2” Shannon Bobbitt suddenly draining three-pointers from all points of the compass during one spurt in the second half, spelled the difference in the game. The Volunteers won their seventh Women’s Basketball Title by a score of 56-49, frustrating the Knights attempt for the school’s first undisputed national title in any sport.
The Scarlet Knights’ Kia Vaughn led all scorers with 20 points but no other Rutgers player scored in double figures. For the Vols, Candice Parker’s 17 led the way but she got help from Bobbitt’s 13 points, Sidney Spencer’s 11, and Alberta Augusta’s 10.
Rutgers actually had the higher shooting percentages from the floor (38.1% in the first half and 42.9% in the second compared to Tennessee’s 36.7% and 32.1%), but those second and third chances UT got from the offensive boards proved to be the killer.
The season started with a disappointing 2-4 record and ended with the Knights capturing the Big East Title and playing for the National Championship. Their final record of 27-9 is excellent. And the Lady Knights are to be congratulated for a fine season. Unfortunately, as in nearly all sports (college football on the top level seems to be the exception) only one team goes home a winner.
Game story and stats here.
Final comment:
Rutgers had 10 women suited to play, all of whom got on the floor. Five of them are freshmen, none are seniors. They’ll be back. Next year they will have experience if not added height.
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