Today in History revisits coverage of the UND Women’s Basketball team winning their 3rd straight NCAA Division II title. ‘Charmed’ and ‘Triple Crown’ headlines dominated the March 21, 1999, edition.
PUBLISHED ON MARCH 21, 1999
Herald archive image of UND senior Sioux players Kami Winger, from left, Casey Carroll and Jenny Crouse salute the fans after winning their third national championship 80-63 over Arkansas Tech on Saturday night, March 20, 1999 in Pine Bluff, Ark. Eric Hylen, staff photographer.
By Wayne Nelson – Herald Staff Writer
PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Arkansas Tech coach Joe Foley couldn’t have asked for much more. His undersized, depth-depleted Golden Suns went tooth-and-nail with No. 1-ranked UND for 30 minutes.
“It took that ballclub that’s still out on the floor to beat us,” Foley said, referring to UND, which was in the midst of its annual postgame celebration. “I don’t think there is any other team in the country that could have beaten us today.”Foley had a point. The Golden Suns, a team with nothing to prove, pushed UND to the limit.
But UND had a point to prove, too. The Sioux wanted to become one of the all-time powers of NCAA Division II women’s basketball. And when push came to shove, UND was the last team standing once again.
The Sioux, behind a smothering second-half defense, beat Tech 80-63 on Saturday in the championship game of the NCAA Elite Eight women’s basketball tournament before 3,135 fans at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
The national title was the third straight for UND and perhaps its most difficult to achieve, considering key injuries limited the team’s traditional depth.
“We had to work very, very hard,” UND coach Gene Roebuck said of a win that many expected to be a blowout. “It was a great game. This was the first time I had the chance to coach against Joe Foley, and it’s easy to see why his team always is in the national scene. His team came to play.
“I knew this game wouldn’t be easy. I give them a lot of credit for making us work. But I give credit to our players, too.”
Tech gave UND all it could handle in the first half. The Suns, who made eight of their first 12 shots, ran their complex half-court offense to near perfection. Despite giving up size at nearly every position, the Suns’ complex screening gave the Sioux fits inside.
Khelli Mullen’s basket at the 6:02 mark gave the Suns their biggest lead at 34-28. But the Sioux went on a 7-0 run before Mullen scored again inside for a 36-35 lead.
But Jenny Crouse, who has rescued the Sioux time and again throughout her career, scored at 2:45 to give UND a 37-36 lead. The Sioux led by four (41-37) at halftime but could not put the Suns away until the final 10 minutes.
SEE MORE TOURNAMENT COVERAGE FROM 1999 HERE
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