sports Thursday, 4 April 2013 // The Collegian 4 Eagles hoist the championship trophy this year CHRIS BILS @ChrisBils SAN ANTONIO, Texas – “AU Eagle Basketball” cannot be explained in a sentence. It cannot be accomplished with just one person. It is not just \PM Å^M XTIaMZ[ WV \PM ÆWWZ I\ IVa OQ^MV \QUM 1\ Q[ \PM ^Q[QWV WN WVM _WUIV ¸ PMIL KWIKP ;]M :IU[Ma ¸ IVL _PI\ [PM KITT[ XTIaQVO \PM OIUM \PM ZQOP\ _Ia IVL Q\ \ISM[ I whole team. .ZQLIa VQOP\ )[PTIVL XTIaML ¹)= -IOTM *I[SM\JITTº NWZ UQV]\M[ IVL Q\ _I[ JMI]\QN]T <PM result was a 71-56 win in the na- \QWVIT KPIUXQWV[PQX OIUM W^MZ Dowling College. “I couldn’t be more thrilled IVL UWZM PIXXa _Q\P \PM XMZ NWZUIVKM VW\ WVTa \WLIa J]\ NWZ \PM TI[\ LIa[º :IU[Ma [IQL ¹<PMa _MZM I LM\MZUQVML OZW]X WN aW]VO TILQM[ _PMV _M TMN\ PMZM TI[\ aMIZ Z]VVMZ[]X IVL \PMa worked hard to make this season M^MZa\PQVO \PI\ Q\ _I[º ;MVQWZ NWZ_IZL 3IZQ ,I]OP MZ\a _I[ [XMK\IK]TIZ ;PM ÅVQ[PML with 26 points, 12 rebounds and NW]Z I[[Q[\[ QVKT]LQVO [M^MZIT shots down the stretch that killed IVa UWUMV\]U \PM /WTLMV 4Q ons were starting to gain. ¹1 R][\ \PQVS \PI\ M^MZaWVM _I[ ZMITTa XZMXIZML \WLIaº ,I]OP MZ\a [IQL ¹5MV\ITTa XPa[QKITTa [XQZQ\]ITTa M^MZa\PQVO ?PMV _M came into the game, we knew what we needed to do to be able to win and people stepped up and hit big shots.” The Eagles executed their WNNMV[M \W VMIZ XMZNMK\QWV NZWU [\IZ\ \W ÅVQ[P IOIQV[\ I ,W_TQVO LMNMV[M \PI\ _I[ JQTTML I[ \PM JM[\ in the nation coming in. <PMa [\IZ\ML ! 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I\ _Q\P " \W XTIa .ZWU \PMZM Q\ _I[ WVTa I UI\ \MZ WN PW_ UIVa XTIaMZ[ :IU[Ma KW]TL OM\ WV \PM ÆWWZ \W [PIZM QV the moment. ¹<W JM IJTM \W [Ia \PI\ _M IZM \PM JM[\ \MIU QV ,Q^Q[QWV 11 JI[ SM\JITT Q[ QVKZMLQJTMº ,I]OPMZ\a [IQL ¹7VTa WVM \MIU OM\[ \W [Ia \PI\ I aMIZ IVL \W JM \PM \MIU \PI\ OM\[ \W [Ia \PI\ Q[ QVKZMLQJTa humbling.” OPINION Out of the ordinary 4I[\ <P]Z[LIa¼[ XZMVI\QWVIT KPIUXQWV[PQX XZM[[ KWVNMZMVKM _I[ _MTT° LQNNMZMV\ \PIV 1 M` pected. I mean, nothing interest- QVO M^MZ PIXXMV[ I\ \PM[M \PQVO[ ZQOP\' 1\¼[ R][\ I KPIVKM NWZ I NM_ XTIaMZ[ IVL \PM KWIKP WN JW\P teams to stare each other down _PQTM I [TM_ WN ZMXWZ\MZ[ I[S \PM usual questions. ¹0W_ LQL aW] OM\ PMZM'º ¹?PI\ LW aW] \PQVS Q\ _QTT JM TQSM \W XTIa NWZ I VI\QWVIT KPIUXQ onship?” … On and on and on with no end in sight. ;W UIaJM Q\¼[ Ua NI]T\ 1 LQLV¼\ stick to the script. 1 O]M[[ 1 PI^M \W OW JIKS \W \PM VQOP\ JMNWZM )[ 1 _ITSML LW_V \PM [\MX[ \W \ISM Ua XTIKM WV UM LQI ZW_ NWZ \PM .QVIT .W]Z OIUM JM\_MMV )[PTIVL IVL ?M[\MZV ?I[PQVO\WV 1 VW\QKML \PI\ ,W_T QVO ¸ _PQKP PIL R][\ LMNMI\ML )] O][\IVI \W IL^IVKM \W \PM KPIUXQ WV[PQX ¸ _I[ XZIaQVO 1\¼[ VW\ \PI\ ]V][]IT ) TW\ WN \MIU[ XZIa JMNWZM IVL IN\MZ OIUM[ I[SQVO /WL NWZ [\ZMVO\P IVL \PIVS QVO 0QU NWZ SMMXQVO \PMU PMIT\Pa <PM ZMI[WV \PQ[ XIZ\QK]TIZ XZIaMZ KQZKTM KI]OP\ Ua MaM 1 \PQVS Q[ JM KI][M WN PW_ TWVO Q\ TI[\ML 1 KW]TL \MTT \PI\ \PM /WTLMV 4QWV[ _MZM into it, which made me think that /WL U][\ JM QUXWZ\IV\ \W \PMU ?Pa _I[ \PQ[ [QOVQÅKIV\' ?MTT IVaWVM _PW PI[ NWTTW_ML ;]M :IU[Ma IVL PMZ \MIU SVW_[ \PI\ /WL Q[ I JQO XIZ\ WN M^MZa\PQVO )[PTIVL LWM[ 1\¼[ XIZ\ WN _PW \PMa are as a team and it is a big rea- [WV \PMa PI^M JMMV I[ []KKM[[N]T I[ \PMa PI^M I wondered: does Dowling PI^M I [QUQTIZ ZMTI\QWV[PQX' ;W 1 asked about it. ¹<PI\ Q[ \PM JI[Q[ WN \PM [Y]ILº [MVQWZ O]IZL ;MRI /IUJTM [IQL ¹1\¼[ I_M[WUM JMKI][M M^ MZaWVM UQOP\ VW\ KWUM NZWU \PM [IUM JIKSOZW]VL WN SVW_QVO _PW /WL Q[ IVL M^MZa\PQVO TQSM \PI\ J]\ M^MZaJWLa Q[ _QTTQVO \W ITTW_ UM \W TMIL \PM XZIaMZ IVL \PMa¼ZM IKKMX\QVO WN Q\º ;W]VL NIUQTQIZ' <PM _WZL[ M[ XMKQITTa [\Z]KS I KPWZL _Q\P )= [M VQWZ NWZ_IZL 3IZQ ,I]OPMZ\a _PW [\IZ\ML \MIZQVO ]X I[ [PM OI^M PMZ response. ¹<PI\¼[ I_M[WUMº ,I]OPMZ\a [IQL ¹1\ OQ^M[ UM KPQTT[º 7N KW]Z[M ,I]OPMZ\a _W]TL VW\ JM PMZM QN Q\ _I[ VW\ NWZ PMZ NIQ\P )N\MZ [\IZ\QVO PMZ KIZMMZ I\ ,Ia\WV [PM KPW[M \W \ZIV[NMZ \W Ashland because she wanted to be somewhere where she could grow [XQZQ\]ITTa _PQTM XTIaQVO JI[SM\ JITT ;]M :IU[Ma¼[ XZWOZIU OI^M PMZ \PI\ WXXWZ\]VQ\a ¹/WL PI[ JMMV I ZMITTa JQO XIZ\ WN W]Z XZWOZIUº ,I]OPMZ\a [IQL “For me, I got hurt this season UQL_Ia IVL \W JM IJTM \W KWUM back and experience this and to be IJTM \W XTIa IOIQV[\ IV WXXWVMV\ _PW _IV\[ \W OTWZQNa /WL R][\ I[ U]KP I[ _M LW Q[ ZMITTa QVKZML ible.” At that moment, it was hard to ÅVL I LZa MaM QV \PM PW][M /IU JTM _I[ \ZaQVO \W PWTL JIKS \MIZ[ WN PMZ W_V I[ PMZ WXXWVMV\ UW^ML \PM UQK I_Ia IVL [PIZML I \MIZN]T P]O _Q\P :IU[Ma 5IaJM \W \PW[M _PW PI^M VW\ JMMV IZW]VL NWZ \PM XI[\ \_W aMIZ[ \W [MM \PM XZM[MVKM WN \PM 4WZL with Ashland women’s basketball IVL ,I]OPMZ\a Q\ [MMUML KPMM[a or cliché, but to me it could not PI^M JMMV UWZM XMZNMK\ 1 OW JIKS \W \PM XZWÅTM 1 LQL WV ,I]OPMZ\a W^MZ \PM []UUMZ IVL PW_ ^MZa TQ\\TM WN \PI\ [\WZa _I[ IJW]\ JI[SM\JITT 5W[\ WN Q\ _I[ IJW]\ PMZ XMZ[WVIT RW]ZVMa IVL PW_ [PM PI[ JMMV IJTM \W OTWZQNa /WL \PZW]OP PMZ QUUMV[M JI[SM\ ball talents. Nothing was guaranteed to her when she made the decision to \ZIV[NMZ 1V NIK\ \W UW[\ XMWXTM Q\ U][\ PI^M [MMUML TQSM [PM _I[ [IKZQ ÅKQVO I OZMI\ ,Q^Q[QWV 1 KIZMMZ something that most women who OZW_ ]X XTIaQVO JI[SM\JITT LZMIU about. 1\¼[ LQNÅK]T\ \W M`XZM[[ R][\ PW_ U]KP 1 PI^M TMIZVML IVL OZW_V NZWU \PM WXXWZ\]VQ\a 1 PI^M PIL \W KW^MZ \PQ[ \MIU NWZ \PM XI[\ \_W [MI[WV[ -^MV UWZM [XMKQIT PI[ JMMV \PM PWVWZ WN _I\KPQVO WVM WN \PM JM[\ JI[SM\JITT XTIaMZ[ QV \PM KW]V\Za IVL \PM _Ia [PM KWV L]K\[ PMZ[MTN WV IVL WNN \PM KW]Z\ No one wants to win more than ,I]OPMZ\a +WUXM\Q\QWV Q[ QV PMZ blood, and it is what makes her []KP I OZMI\ JI[SM\JITT XTIaMZ *]\ JMNWZM \PM VI\QWVIT KPIUXQWV[PQX M^MV \QXXML WNN 1 SVM_ \PI\ ¸ _QV WZ TW[M ¸ \PQ[ \MIU IVL 3IZQ ,I]OPMZ\a _W]TL JM KPIUXQWV[ QV Ua PMIZ\ QV \PM PMIZ\[ WN M^MZa WVM _PW PI[ NWTTW_ML \PMU IVL 1 PWXML QV \PM PMIZ\[ WN M^MZaWVM who watched the national champi- onship. 0W_ Å\\QVO \PI\ PMZ WXXWVMV\ QV \PM JQOOM[\ OIUM WN PMZ TQNM _I[ the one to express the sentiment \PI\ [PM OQ^M[ IN\MZ ITUW[\ M^MZa game. ¹/WL Q[ JQOOMZ \PIV \PQ[ OIUMº /IUJTM [IQL ¹/WL Q[ _Q\P JW\P \PM[M \MIU[ 1\¼[ M^QLMV\ *W\P WN ][ PI^M I LMMX ZWW\ QV 0QU -^MV \PW]OP _M¼ZM PMZM Q\¼[ VW\ ITT NWZ W]Z OTWZa 1\¼[ ITT NWZ 0QU ?PI\ M^MZ PIXXMV[ _M R][\ SVW_ \PI\ 0M PI[ KWV\ZWT WN M^MZa\PQVOº Amen. CHRIS BILS @ChrisBils ils ELIZABETH BUCHEIT (Left to right) Alyssa Miller, Daiva Gerbec, Kari Daugherty and Sue Ramsey respond to questions in a press conference before the national champion- ship game in San Antonio. Ashland University, 71 vs Dowling College (NY), 56 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship — San Antonio, Texas (St. Mary’s University) Making it look easy ELIZABETH BUCHEIT The Eagles pose with their new national championship trophy. They won in the Division II title game over Dowling College, 71-56. ONLINE COVERAGE Go to ashlandcollegian.com for more stories and photos. Videos, interviews and more are available at youtube.com/AshlandJDM National champs t-shirts available Ocial national championship t-shirts are on sale at the AU bookstore for $20. Sizes 2X and 3X are $25. top left// Kari Daugherty and Alyssa Miller share tears and a hug after exiting in the nal few minutes of the championship game. top right// Daugherty dribbles past Dowling College’s Danielle Wilson under the hoop. bottom left// (from left) Chelsea Laporte, Alyssa Miller, McKenzie Miller, Delanie Wolf, Melanie Poorman and Lindsay Tenyak cheer in the nal seconds of the game. bottom right// Ramsey holds the net above her head after the game. right// Coach Sue Ramsey points to the sky after her Eagles secured a national championship.