Okla-homey
2/26/2006, 10:30 AM
I think that's pretty cool. Okie girls representin' and stuff.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/5420/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz060225b1robbi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Hurricane claims title
By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer
2/25/2006
The seniors can add Tulsa's first conference championship to their list of impressive credentials.
Seniors Megan Moody, Kara Pongonis-Paslay and Emily Jaskowiak combined for 36 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Golden Hurricane dispatched Tulane, 74-63, to clinch the Conference USA title in Tulsa's first season in the league.
Jillian Robbins thrilled the second-largest crowd -- 3,287 -- to see a Tulsa women's game at the Reynolds Center, when she took the hurricane flag from a fan and paraded around at midcourt.
Robbins finished with a team-high 17 points. She added nine rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots.
Robbins and Jaskowiak shared the interview podium and couldn't look at one another without crying as they shared their thoughts on the conference championship.
"It's just so emotional," Jaskowiak said as she wiped away tears. "I didn't even cry at my own wedding. The first thing I told my parents (when I was still in high school) was that I had to go to Tulsa. I wanted to start a legacy. I want to leave something. To actually be able to do it is so unimaginable. Yeah, every year you start out wanting to be the conference championship. But to actually do it is just (fabulous). We are very thrilled. Like Jillian said, we talked about winning conference then half way through it was like holy cow, we really could win conference."
With the victory, the Golden Hurricane improves to 21-5 overall and 12-3 in league play.
"Within everything this ball club has endured, I'm really proud of them," Tulsa coach Charlene Thomas-Swinson said. "They've come through the ridicule of 'can they last' this time of year.
"I was concerned about Tulane's 13 offensive rebounds, but we'll take this win and any other win from here on out."
Tulane didn't make it easy.
The Green Wave (13-11 and 7-8) recorded its third consecutive game with at least eight 3-pointers to stay within striking distance until the final 5:22. Tulane finished with 10 treys overall, six from Nikki Lockhurst and four from Jami Montagnino.
Lockhurst led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-17 field goal shooting. Montagnino chipped in 19.
"We knew they were going to come at us," Thomas-Swinson said. "I didn't know they would come so early."
Following the game, Thomas-Swinson presented game balls to Pongonis-Paslay (career 3-point leader), Moody (surpassing 1,000) and Robbins (becoming school's all-time leading scorer) to extend the celebration.
"It just feels amazing," Pongonis-Paslay said of her first team championship. "Everybody scored, so that was icing on the cake. I wasn't expecting the presentation after the game. It just made it a great day."
Said Moody: "I don't know what to say. I don't have the words for it. By far, we aren't done yet. We have to finish our business."
Tulsa finished with 20 assists on 27 field goals.
"I've preached to them to take what the defense gives them," the Tulsa coach said. "But it also has to do with them understanding they are all threats on the floor. Our bench was key again."
Lynn Jacobsen 581-8461
[email protected]
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/5420/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz060225b1robbi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Hurricane claims title
By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer
2/25/2006
The seniors can add Tulsa's first conference championship to their list of impressive credentials.
Seniors Megan Moody, Kara Pongonis-Paslay and Emily Jaskowiak combined for 36 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Golden Hurricane dispatched Tulane, 74-63, to clinch the Conference USA title in Tulsa's first season in the league.
Jillian Robbins thrilled the second-largest crowd -- 3,287 -- to see a Tulsa women's game at the Reynolds Center, when she took the hurricane flag from a fan and paraded around at midcourt.
Robbins finished with a team-high 17 points. She added nine rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots.
Robbins and Jaskowiak shared the interview podium and couldn't look at one another without crying as they shared their thoughts on the conference championship.
"It's just so emotional," Jaskowiak said as she wiped away tears. "I didn't even cry at my own wedding. The first thing I told my parents (when I was still in high school) was that I had to go to Tulsa. I wanted to start a legacy. I want to leave something. To actually be able to do it is so unimaginable. Yeah, every year you start out wanting to be the conference championship. But to actually do it is just (fabulous). We are very thrilled. Like Jillian said, we talked about winning conference then half way through it was like holy cow, we really could win conference."
With the victory, the Golden Hurricane improves to 21-5 overall and 12-3 in league play.
"Within everything this ball club has endured, I'm really proud of them," Tulsa coach Charlene Thomas-Swinson said. "They've come through the ridicule of 'can they last' this time of year.
"I was concerned about Tulane's 13 offensive rebounds, but we'll take this win and any other win from here on out."
Tulane didn't make it easy.
The Green Wave (13-11 and 7-8) recorded its third consecutive game with at least eight 3-pointers to stay within striking distance until the final 5:22. Tulane finished with 10 treys overall, six from Nikki Lockhurst and four from Jami Montagnino.
Lockhurst led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-17 field goal shooting. Montagnino chipped in 19.
"We knew they were going to come at us," Thomas-Swinson said. "I didn't know they would come so early."
Following the game, Thomas-Swinson presented game balls to Pongonis-Paslay (career 3-point leader), Moody (surpassing 1,000) and Robbins (becoming school's all-time leading scorer) to extend the celebration.
"It just feels amazing," Pongonis-Paslay said of her first team championship. "Everybody scored, so that was icing on the cake. I wasn't expecting the presentation after the game. It just made it a great day."
Said Moody: "I don't know what to say. I don't have the words for it. By far, we aren't done yet. We have to finish our business."
Tulsa finished with 20 assists on 27 field goals.
"I've preached to them to take what the defense gives them," the Tulsa coach said. "But it also has to do with them understanding they are all threats on the floor. Our bench was key again."
Lynn Jacobsen 581-8461
[email protected]