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Around
the Nation

Posted March 12, 2002

Finally, a
Final Four for
Marymount
Having been through the torture that was last season's Sweet 16 double-overtime loss to Messiah, Marymount women's basketball coach Bill Finney knew better when a similar scenario popped up in his team's sectional final against King's.

The Saints led by three points in the closing seconds of regulation and the opponent got one desperation shot at a 3-pointer to tie. Last season Melissa Ehst's Hail Mary 25-foot heave went through the net as Finney watched, eyes focused on the court in stunned disbelief.

"This year,'' Finney said, able to laugh about it now, "I didn't have my eyes open for the last 10 seconds. All I remember is seeing (the rebound of a miss free throw) tapped in the air, tapped in the air. Then I turned away, and all of a sudden our assistant coach says 'We're gonna win!' It was amazing. It was like hitting a hole-in-one, pitching a perfect game, or bowling a 300."

Basketball perfection for the second-place finishers in the Capital Athletic Conference came in the form of wins against Christopher Newport, CAC champion Salisbury University, and then the thriller with King's. All this for a team whose coach didn't even think it would get a bid to the NCAA Tournament after losing to Salisbury in the CAC final.

"There's a picture of me sitting on the bench after that Salisbury game telling my assistant that our season is over,'' Finney said. "I didn't even listen to the conference call (announcing selections) because I said 'We're not in it.'.''

The preseason expectations that something like this could occur were met with a couple of hindrances that had Finney, now in his 19th season at Marymount, wondering if the squad would even finish .500 considering the tough nonconference schedule it faced. After all, Finney has had teams with more talent at Marymount over the last decade but had never gotten to the Sweet 16.

Senior guard Candice Brown, a preseason All-American missed time with a broken hand. Two other regulars were out with injuries and another — forward Jodie Knotts — initially decided not to play this season, then changed her mind. Then, once the NCAAs got going, point guard Kristin McGrory went down with an injury, but everyone else stepped up their play at sectionals.

"When Candice was injured, we learned how to play without her,'' Finney
said of Brown. "When she came back, she adapted to the rest of the team, and
we still had an All-American out there."

Brown, who had already carved out a reputation for being clutch in that loss to Messiah last season, was terrific in the final 3:20 against Kings, scoring nine points, including three free throws that accounted for the final margin of victory. That came one game after she completely shut down the CAC Player of the Year, Salisbury guard Amy Campion, holding her to just nine points in a 79-52 win, as Finney made a defensive switch and offered a challenge to her, Jodie Knotts (right), and the rest of a squad that was smaller and lighter than its opposition.

"I said to Candice, 'Let's find out who the best player in the region really is','' Finney said. "I told Jodie on Wednesday that we needed her to score 20 points for us and she scored 21, so I owe her one. All week long we were preparing for breaking the press and outrebounding them. Our kids believed and we did that."

The key for the Saints was getting contributions in other ways. King's fans might have been asking aloud "Who's that?'' when Anetta Benjamin came off the bench to play some key minutes. That kind of contribution will be needed these next two games.

Emmanuel head coach Andy Yosinoff, known for being as fiery as Finney once was, left a message for Finney at 6 a.m. Saturday telling him, "We need another Saints team in the Final Four.''

They got there. On Friday it will be time for Finney to open his eyes again.

"The key for us is to not wake us up,'' said Finney, who says his on-court demeanor become much calmer since he recently became a grandfather. "Right now, we're still on one of those Cloud 9's.''

Notes for Around the Nation are compiled with the help of sports information directors across the country. If you have suggestions or information for this column, please send it to mark@d3hoops.com.

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