Free-Throw Disparity Left Foul Odor
While No. 1 Connecticut dominated inside in an 87-60 victory over No. 4 Stanford, it also held a huge advantage in another category: free throws.
The Huskies attempted 46 free throws, the most ever in a women’s national semifinal game. Connecticut made 34 of those attempts, compared to Stanford’s 3-for-5 day at the line.
The Cardinal were called for 31 fouls, the Huskies just 13. Both teams made 25 field goals, although Connecticut shot 50 percent while holding Stanford to 31 percent.
“It’s really hard when you’re in a situation that we’re in, a 30-point game, to comment on officiating,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “But I think that sometimes numbers kind of speak for themselves. It’s very hard when you shoot five free throws and they shoot 46.”
The previous record for free-throw attempts was 38 by Auburn in 1990.
They’ll be back … maybe
Don’t feel too bad for Saturday’s semifinal losers. Georgia and Stanford are loaded with talented youngsters and are considered strong candidates to return to the Final Four next year.
Georgia has six sophomores and a junior among its top seven players, and Stanford has 11 freshmen and sophomores on its roster.
But Georgia coach Andy Landers warns that nothing is guaranteed.
“We’re not the only basketball team out there with quality freshmen and sophomores,” Landers said. “There’s no assurance we’ll get back here. We’ve got to outwork the other people that want to get here.”
Although they are very young, the Cardinal also had the only three players in the Final Four who had previous experience in the national semifinals. Seniors Kate Paye, Rachel Hemmer and Anita Kaplan all played on the 1992 championship team. All three started Saturday.
“We will miss our seniors tremendously, but hopefully the young players that were here will be motivated by the experience and want to come back,” coach Tara VanDerveer said.
Notable
The announced attendance for the semifinals at Target Center was 18,038. Only the 1990 Final Four at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., drew more for the first day. … Both losing teams used the same bench. It’s also the bench used by the arena’s main tenant, the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves. … Connecticut’s 87 points is the third-highest total in an NCAA semifinal. … The 10 assists by Tennessee’s Michelle Marciniak were one shy of the Final Four record set in 1987 by Louisiana Tech’s Teresa Weatherspoon. … Tracy Henderson’s three blocked shots for Georgia were one away from the women’s semifinal record shared by Virginia’s Heather Burge and Alabama’s Yolanda Watkins. … Though the Final Four has been sold out for months, scalpers outside the arena were selling tickets for between $10-20, below the $21 face value.