Marymount Women's Team Makes Final Four

Special to the HERALD
(From the issue of 3/14/02)

With two wins in the NCAA tournament last weekend, the Marymount University's women's basketball team is going to the Division III Final Four at Terre Haute, Ind., March 15-16.

For the Saints, with a season record of 24-6, this is the first time in school history that they have advanced past the round of 16.

Marymount will play Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday night at 6 p.m. in the first game of a doubleheader at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. DePauw and St. Lawrence will play at 8 p.m. The championship game will be played on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Last weekend, the Saints defeated Salisbury 79-51 to even their season series with the Seagulls at 2-2. They played another team that had beaten them earlier in the season on Saturday, but this time the Saints prevailed over King's College 67-64.

"I can't say enough about all our players," said head coach Bill Finney, who has been at the Arlington school for 19 years. "They have risen to the occasion so many times this season — playing injured, playing out of position and never giving up."

Marymount is embracing the total team concept this year. For the season, four players average double figures in scoring. They are Candice Brown (15.7 points), Ashlee Courter (11.6), Jodie Knotts (11.5) and Katie Jarvis (11.2).

Players coming off the bench have contributed to Marymount's success as well. The team has faced more than its share of injuries this season. In fact, before they even stepped on the court for their first practice last fall, two post players injured their knees and were lost for the season.

During the season, they lost another post player Desiree Du Vall, and leading scorer Candice Brown for seven games. But the team seemed to take each setback in stride. The adversity has only made them tougher and brought them closer together.

The Saints have been tested throughout the tournament. In their first NCAA game, near the end of the first half, point guard Kristin McGrory from Paul VI High School went down with a knee injury that effectively ended her season. She had started 28 games up to and including the Christopher Newport game.

Finney divided the point guard duties between two players during the sectional round of the tournament. Sophomore Gen Schmitt from Bishop Ireton High School moved over from her wing position, while freshman Kati Hessler came off the bench.

Marymount has gotten timely contributions and key plays from freshmen Christine Lingerfelder and Annetta Benjamin, particularly this past weekend.

This is the 10^th NCAA tournament for Marymount. Prior to this one the furthest the Saints have advanced was the Sweet 16.

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