FIBA Basketball
Dunks make NCAA history
NORFOLK - The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament waited more than 24 years for its first dunk. It waited roughly half an hour for its second. University of Tennessee forward Candace Parker created
From: www.timesdispatch.com
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BY VIC DORR JR.
Tennessee's Parker has tournament's first two successes
NORFOLK - The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament waited more than 24 years for its first dunk. It waited roughly half an hour for its second.
University of Tennessee forward Candace Parker created history of a resounding nature yesterday by dunking twice in the Lady Vols' 102-54 victory over Army in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. Fans of the women's college game have been waiting for such an outburst since 2004, when Parker won the PowerAde Jamfest that accompanies each year's McDonald's High School All-American Game.
"It's a relief to have finally done it," said Parker, a 6-3 redshirt freshman from Naperville, Ill. "I've done it a few times in warmups and my teammates have been getting on me a lot. You know, 'When are you going to do it in a game?'"
She said her intent was not to draw attention to herself but rather to pump enthusiasm into the Lady Vols' tank as they begin their tournament run. "Coming in, our whole idea was to play with energy and confidence and swagger. Considering who we are - we're Tennessee - that's the way we have to play, with confidence and swagger, and I think that's what dunking does for a team."
Parker became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game, the first woman to dunk twice in a college game. Only three other female collegians have dunked: Georgeann Wells of West Virginia (1984 and 1985), Charlotte Smith of North Carolina (1994) and Michelle Snow of Tennessee (2000, 2001 and 2002).
Yesterday's first dunk occurred 6½ minutes into the game. Lady Vols forward Sidney Spencer blocked an Army shot, controlled the loose ball and flung a two-handed pass toward midcourt. There, Parker was streaking toward the far goal. Parker collected the ball near the midcourt stripe. She gathered herself as she approached the basket. The crowd in Old Dominion's Constant Convocation Center drew its collective breath. Parker ignored the bothersome presence of an Army pursuer, climbed high with her right arm extended and shoved the ball into the net.
The second dunk occurred soon thereafter. Parker, a three-time Illinois Miss Basketball, rattled the rim with an emphatic one-hander with 2:33 elapsed in the second half. The second was, if anything, more impressive than the first. Parker, lurking in the right-hand corner, found a fissure in Army's defense and dashed toward the basket. Teammate Nicky Anosike hit her in full stride with a pinpoint pass. Parker soared unimpeded and pounded the ball through the hoop. The impact was audible throughout the arena.
Parker, who finished with 26 points and seven assists, said she was not aware of the buzz that swept the arena every time she handled the ball in the open floor. "I just went up and did it," she said. "I didn't really think about it."
Said Lady Vols guard Shanna Zolman: Parker "may not have been thinking about it, but the rest of us were. For sure, I was buzzing" when Parker set sail on her first-half breakaway.
Parker said she does not, and will not, play with dunks as her goal. "I'm not going to force anything," she said. "If it's a close game, a two- or three-point game, I'll make the decision that's best for the team."
The Lady Vols, bigger, stronger and faster than anything 15th-seeded Army sees in the Patriot League, dominated every phase of this one-sided game. Guard Shanna Zolman and post player Tye'sha Fluker added 15 points apiece for the Lady Vols (29-4). Tennessee shot 63.0 percent in the first half and 60.3 percent (38-63) for the game.
Army, making its first NCAA appearance, led 14-13 early in the first half but then skidded into a two-points-in-nine-minutes ditch. Wing player Cara Enright led the Black Knights (20-11) with 21 points.
View source article here.
BY VIC DORR JR.
Tennessee's Parker has tournament's first two successes
NORFOLK - The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament waited more than 24 years for its first dunk. It waited roughly half an hour for its second.
University of Tennessee forward Candace Parker created history of a resounding nature yesterday by dunking twice in the Lady Vols' 102-54 victory over Army in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. Fans of the women's college game have been waiting for such an outburst since 2004, when Parker won the PowerAde Jamfest that accompanies each year's McDonald's High School All-American Game.
"It's a relief to have finally done it," said Parker, a 6-3 redshirt freshman from Naperville, Ill. "I've done it a few times in warmups and my teammates have been getting on me a lot. You know, 'When are you going to do it in a game?'"
She said her intent was not to draw attention to herself but rather to pump enthusiasm into the Lady Vols' tank as they begin their tournament run. "Coming in, our whole idea was to play with energy and confidence and swagger. Considering who we are - we're Tennessee - that's the way we have to play, with confidence and swagger, and I think that's what dunking does for a team."
Parker became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game, the first woman to dunk twice in a college game. Only three other female collegians have dunked: Georgeann Wells of West Virginia (1984 and 1985), Charlotte Smith of North Carolina (1994) and Michelle Snow of Tennessee (2000, 2001 and 2002).
Yesterday's first dunk occurred 6½ minutes into the game. Lady Vols forward Sidney Spencer blocked an Army shot, controlled the loose ball and flung a two-handed pass toward midcourt. There, Parker was streaking toward the far goal. Parker collected the ball near the midcourt stripe. She gathered herself as she approached the basket. The crowd in Old Dominion's Constant Convocation Center drew its collective breath. Parker ignored the bothersome presence of an Army pursuer, climbed high with her right arm extended and shoved the ball into the net.
The second dunk occurred soon thereafter. Parker, a three-time Illinois Miss Basketball, rattled the rim with an emphatic one-hander with 2:33 elapsed in the second half. The second was, if anything, more impressive than the first. Parker, lurking in the right-hand corner, found a fissure in Army's defense and dashed toward the basket. Teammate Nicky Anosike hit her in full stride with a pinpoint pass. Parker soared unimpeded and pounded the ball through the hoop. The impact was audible throughout the arena.
Parker, who finished with 26 points and seven assists, said she was not aware of the buzz that swept the arena every time she handled the ball in the open floor. "I just went up and did it," she said. "I didn't really think about it."
Said Lady Vols guard Shanna Zolman: Parker "may not have been thinking about it, but the rest of us were. For sure, I was buzzing" when Parker set sail on her first-half breakaway.
Parker said she does not, and will not, play with dunks as her goal. "I'm not going to force anything," she said. "If it's a close game, a two- or three-point game, I'll make the decision that's best for the team."
The Lady Vols, bigger, stronger and faster than anything 15th-seeded Army sees in the Patriot League, dominated every phase of this one-sided game. Guard Shanna Zolman and post player Tye'sha Fluker added 15 points apiece for the Lady Vols (29-4). Tennessee shot 63.0 percent in the first half and 60.3 percent (38-63) for the game.
Army, making its first NCAA appearance, led 14-13 early in the first half but then skidded into a two-points-in-nine-minutes ditch. Wing player Cara Enright led the Black Knights (20-11) with 21 points.