Huskies Topple Fifth-ranked Vanderbilt
Dec. 6, 1997
SEATTLE- The No. 24 Washington Huskies used a 12-0 run in the final minutes of
the game to topple fifth-ranked and previously unbeaten Vanderbilt,
82-71, before 3,875 fans in the Les Schwab Challenge at Hec Edmundson
Pavilion Saturday.
The Huskies improve to 5-0 while Vanderbilt drops to 5-1 overall.
Freshman Megan Franza sparked the Huskies with four three pointers in
the first half of the game. She hit her fifth three in the second half
to finish the game with 18 points. Jamie Redd was the leading scorer in
the game with 26 points. She was 11-12 from the free throw line, giving
her the second highest FT percentage in school history.
Na'Sheema Hillom was the top scorer for the Commodores with 21 points.
She reached 1,000 career points with her 18th point of the game.
Vanderbilt jumped out to an 11-1 lead to open the game as they connected
on five of their first six field goals. Franza hit her first trey of the
game at 16:22 and sparked a 9-1 Husky run. Redd closed the gap to 23-22
at the 7:44 mark but Jill Pimley missed a pair of free throws that would
give UW the lead. Vanderbilt went on a 9-2 run before Franza sank two
more threes and UW closed to within two, 32-20, with 3:15 left in the
first half.
Franza and Redd combined to score the last 18 points of the half and
narrow the margin to two, making it 34-32 at the break.
Gena Pelz opened the second half with a bucket to tie the score. The
Commodores moved ahead, 50-47 at 12:46 before UW went on a 9-0 run to
move ahead to 56-50. Vandy's last lead of the game came on a Beth
Ostendorf layin at 4:38. That's when the Huskies went on their 12-0 run
to put the game away.
The Huskies next travel across the state for a non-conference game at
Gonzaga at 7 p.m., Tues., Dec. 9.
Notes
13 assists by Ashley Smith (Vanderbilt) ties UW opponent record, set by
Brenda Pantoja, Arizona in 1995.
13 three point field goal attempts by Megan Franza (UW) sets school
record. Previous was 12 by Jamie Redd, 1996
25 UW three point field goal attempts ties school record for game, set
versus Vanderbilt in the NCAA tournament last year (made 4 that game,
tonight UW made 7)
Jamie Redd, 11-12 from the free throw line is second-best ever in school
history for percentage. Record held by Redd (1996), Laure Savasta
(1995), and Renee Avelino (1985), which all were 12-13 in a game (.923
pct)
Amber Hall registered a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds)
Na'Sheema Hillmon also registered a double-double for Vandy (21 points,
13 rebounds) and scored her 1,000th career point when she hit 18 in the
game.
Washington Quotes
Washington head coach June Daugherty
"It felt like a track meet out there. Vanderbilt was running the lane
and #23 got some easy shots early and we had to settle down at the
timeout and talk about, 'we are a good conditioned team. We have four
heptathletes on the team. Let's start running with them.' We settled
them down and not give them the easy shots. When we did that we got a
little bit more comfortable and were able to get in our halfcourt
defense which definitely paid off. Amber Hall didn't get to play in the
NCAA game last year against Vanderbilt .; I think Vanderbilt knows who
Amber Hall is now. she had a tremendous game on the boards, nine
offensive boards against a frontline like that is a career for some
people, at least for me it was. Jamie was a little bit off on her
shooting. She made some great plays down the stretch. You look at her
assists and turnover ratio, she is doing an incredible job, whether
she's playing the off or point. Megan Franza, the kid is poised as heck.
I don't think she understands that she is supposed to be at awe with the
#5 team in the country. Maybe that it's that she stepped out and hit
those free throws, she hit the big threes. What else can you ask for
from a young lady who had to match up with Ashley Smith, a high school
all-American up at point for about 37 minutes in this game."
Jamie Redd
"We don't care what anybody says about us, we're going to go out there
and play hard, like we know how to play. I hope every team comes in here
talking about us, that gives us something to play for. Amber knows that
if she can't do anything else she can rebound and that's what she began
to focus on."
Amber Hall
"I was getting schooled in the first half, I had to adjust my defense on
Hillman. At half I was wondering what I was doing out there, I needed to
get my head out of what everyone else expects of me and I need to go
back to what I expect of myself and what my teammates expected of me. I
was sizing up Hillman because I knew I was going to play against her and
the fact that she had beat me out in the first half I was thinking to
myself 'man is she just better than me' what am I going to do, I had to
think about it and I started to front her and I didn't let her put a
body on me and I think that really shut her out in the second half.
Megan Franza
"In practice they always use Amber as an example of who's working the
hardest and what we all need to be doing, she's a great example for all
of us. I looked over at the bench in the first half after I had missed a
few in a row and said 'do you want me to keep shooting because I feel
open' and they said keep shooting the ball because they are not coming
out, so I kept shooting, and kept shooting. It wasn't a question of rank
tonight it was just a question of heart and how much we wanted it."
Vanderbilt Quotes
Vanderbilt Head Coach Jim Foster
General Remarks: "They played hard and very aggressive. We have to do a
better job of rebounding the ball. They had 15 more boards than us and
13 more on the offensive glass and we can't give a team second
opportunities like that."
On the play of Amber Hall: "She played a very good game today,
hard-nosed."
On the difference from this UW team and last year's NCAA team: "Entirely
two different teams, a different view. They're a year older and it is
their second year with their coach. There is more of a comfort zone. I
think they played well. I think they played harder on the defensive
end."
Key to the game: "They got a lot of second shots, Hall got to the foul
line 14 times and she earned it."
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