Fullerton Advances in NCAA : Titans’ Miller Perfect in First-Round Victory

Louisiana Tech’s NCAA Women’s Tournament game against Cal State Fullerton--and the Lady Techsters’ season--hit the skids with five seconds remaining Wednesday night.

Trailing by two points, Louisiana Tech guard Sheila Ethridge drove into the front court, but when she pulled up for a shot, her right foot slid and she was called for traveling.

Titan forward Claudette Jackson was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and made both ends of a one-and-one with four seconds left to secure Fullerton’s 84-80 victory in a West Region, first-round game before 813 in Titan Gym.

Fullerton (25-7) will travel to Stanford Saturday night to play the defending national-champion Cardinal (23-5) in a second-round game, with the winner advancing to the region semifinals in Las Vegas. The Lady Techsters closed at 18-12.

Titan center Genia Miller, double-teamed most of the night, attempted 10 shots--nine under her average--but made all 10 and eight of eight free throws to score a game-high 28 points to go with 14 rebounds. Miller, Sports Illustrated’s women’s basketball player of the week, became only the second player in the 10-year NCAA Women’s Tournament history to shoot a perfect game while attempting at least 10 shots.

St. Joseph’s Terry Carmichael made 11 of 11 field-goal attempts in a 1985 tournament game against North Carolina State.

Jackson added 16 points, including eight of 10 free throws, Joey Ray had 14, making three of four three-pointers, and point guard Michelle Hennessey scored 13, nine above her average, for Fullerton.

Ray made two consecutive three-pointers midway through the second half to help Fullerton increase a 55-52 lead to 61-54 with 10 minutes 21 seconds left. The Titans made 28 of 56 field goals (50%) and 25 of 29 free throws (86.2%) in the game.

Ethridge scored 22 points but made only nine of 24 shots, and Annie Lockett added 16 for Louisiana Tech. The Lady Techsters shot only nine free throws, making seven.

The Titans had pulled away from a 36-36 halftime tie and built a 77-68 lead when Miller scored with 4:16 to go. But the Lady Techsters went on a 10-2 run to pull to within 79-78 with 1:57 left.

Ray made one of two free throws for an 80-78 Fullerton lead, but Louisiana Tech missed three consecutive shots, two by Ethridge, in an attempt to tie. Hennessey’s two free throws with 24 seconds left made it 82-78, and Lady Techster guard Nicole Collins’ driving basket with 18 seconds left made it 82-80.

Fullerton guard Heidi James missed the front end of a one-and-one with 11 seconds to go, but Ethridge’s slip with five seconds left ended Louisiana Tech’s chances.

“I don’t think she hit a wet spot,” Lady Techster Coach Leon Barmore said. “I think she just overextended herself and slid her pivot foot.”

James and Cheryl Hightower took turns guarding Ethridge, who entered with a 25.3-point average but had one of her worst shooting nights of the season. The American South Conference player of the year made only one of four three-pointers.

Louisiana Tech’s defensive plan--to sag off Hennessey and double-team Miller--worked to some extent. Barmore was happy that Miller was limited to 10 field-goal attempts.

But Hennessey, left wide open most of the game, burned the Lady Techsters by making five of 11 outside shots.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Hennessey said of Louisiana Tech’s defensive strategy. “Nobody guards me any more. It’s kind of embarrassing. But I’ve found spots on the floor that I’m comfortable shooting from, and if they’re going to leave me open, I’m going to take it.”

Barmore was impressed not only with Hennessey’s shooting but her floor leadership.

“She’s a nice player who runs the club well,” said Barmore, who has a 261-36 career record in nine seasons as the Lady Techsters’ coach. “She’s as close to being as valuable to them as Miller.”

The loss marked the first time in 10 years that the Lady Techsters had been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Louisiana Tech had reached the Final Four seven of the past nine seasons.

“Being in the tournament so many years helped them, but being at home helped us,” said Titan Coach Maryalyce Jeremiah, whose team is 13-1 in Titan Gym. “Louisiana Tech is a very explosive team, but we did some things in the end that allowed us to win it.”

Barmore, whose program is one of only five that have played in all 10 NCAA tournaments, didn’t seem that upset after the loss.

“To be frank, if we had pulled it out in the end, I’m not sure we would have deserved it,” Barmore said. “I think the team that won deserved it.”