Buckeyes Capture WNIT Title, 62-61! – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 28, 2001
Box Score| Quotes| Notes
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In front of a deafening and sellout crowd of 18,018 in The Pit, senior point guard Jamie Lewis (Oak Hill, Ohio) drilled back-to-back triples with a 1:42 to play to lead Ohio State to the 2001 Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) title, 62-61, over New Mexico Wednesday night in Albuquerque.
Lewis, playing the final collegiate game of her career, led Ohio State with 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals, half of the squad’s 10 for the game. Courtney Coleman (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) also finished in double figures with 13 points and paced her teammates with nine rebounds. Both players were named to the all-tournament team with Lewis being named the Most Valuable Player.
Starting post players Coleman and D’wan Shackleford (So., Newark, Ohio) were iced with two fouls each in the first half, but Ohio State was able to keep the game close, trailing 32-24 at halftime.
The Lobos were intense to start the second half, building a 12-point lead (36-24) with less than a minute expired on the clock.
Ohio State (22-11) then stepped up its defense, clogging New Mexico’s passing lanes down low, to rally 14-2 and pull within two, 40-38, with 13:14 left in the game. UNM extended its lead back to eight but Caity Matter (Fr., Bluffton, Ohio) matched the effort, scoring seven of nine points over the next six minutes to mark the only tie of the stanza at 50 each. Lewis took over things from there, negating two Lobo field goals with her sharp-shooting behind arc to lock up the lead.
New Mexico (22-12), marking its third sellout in program history, was led by center Jordan Adams with 20 points and forward Miranda Sanchez with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Chelsea Greer led all players with 15 rebounds.
WNIT All-Tournament Team
Jamie Lewis, Ohio State
Courtney Coleman, Ohio State
Shanna Price, James Madison
Janka Gabrielova, Hawaii
Chelsea Greer, New Mexico
Jordan Adams, New Mexico
Tournament MVP
Jamie Lewis, Ohio State
