Purdue Figures Route to Final

For Louisiana Tech, there were no tears.

And there were no answers.

Not for Ukari Figgs, anyway.

The quick-as-a-hiccup Purdue guard exploded for 18 points in the first half Friday night and led her team into Sunday’s national championship game against Duke with a rousing 77-63 victory over the Lady Techsters before 17,733 at the San Jose Arena.

Purdue-Louisiana Tech was a meeting of win streaks measuring 22 and 30 games, and it ended with Purdue’s 31st straight--achieved, the Boilermakers’ coach said, by gaining the advantage in rebounds.

“I told my players that this game was going to be a war on the boards and we absolutely had to win that war to win the game,” Carolyn Peck said. “And I was right.”

Purdue had 43 rebounds, Louisiana Tech 41.

And so Purdue (33-1) beat the Lady Techsters (30-3) for the second consecutive time. The Boilermakers won in Indianapolis in December, 71-65, Tech’s last loss until Friday night.

Figgs, once crowned Kentucky’s “Miss Basketball” after her storied prep career, took the Lady Techsters out of the game early, then helped keep them out with an inspired defensive effort on guard Tamicha Jackson, who scored two points.

Figgs, who played all 40 minutes, had 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

She also had the acrobatic play of the game, grabbing a second-half loose ball as it was about to bounce over the scorer’s table, taking it behind her back in mid-air with her left hand and getting a dribble started before her feet hit the ground.

Naturally, Purdue got a score out of it, at the start of a 7-0 run, killing a Louisiana Tech surge that threatened to overhaul the Boilermakers.

Tech, trailing 40-27 at the half, climbed all the way back to within 58-55. But Figgs hit a three-point shot and Stephanie White-McCarty (who also played 40 minutes) made what Louisiana Tech Coach Leon Barmore later called the game-turning play.

She got a mid-court steal and scored uncontested, creating a 63-55 lead. And if that wasn’t enough, she added a 16-footer to beat the shot clock buzzer, creating a 65-55 lead with six minutes to go.

“The play by White-McCarty really messed us up, it was probably the play of the game,” Barmore said.

“Purdue was much tougher defensively than I thought they’d be. They showed me they have the talent to win the national championship. No team we played this year could have their lead cut to three like they did tonight and keep their composure the way they did.”

Of Figgs’ 18-point first half, Barmore added: “We had no answer for Figgs.”

She made six of nine shots before the break, on drives as well as three-of-four three-point shooting.

Purdue brought by far the most fans, about 1,200, and their team’s spectacular second-half breakaways for scores brought them to their feet often, but their players seemed to go about their task in an almost methodical way.

“It’s the way we are,” Figgs said. “We’re all about composure--never too high, never too low. We never get rattled.”

Peck saluted Figgs for her high-amp game. Assigned to guard Jackson, she responded.

“To do that kind of defensive job on a very good offensive player and to have enough energy left to have that kind of offensive game herself . . . it was a great effort,” Peck said.

*

DUKE: 81

GEORGIA: 69

Nicole Erickson, Michele VanGorp pace Blue Devils. Page 10

CHAMPIONSHIP

Purdue

vs.

Duke

Sunday

6 p.m., ESPN