Issued: March 14, 2003

CHANNING HITS GAME WINNER TO SEND BLUGOLDS TO ELITE EIGHT

EAU CLAIRE - Kristi Channing (Sr-Fall Creek) sank a nine-foot baseline jumper with just 3.2 seconds left in the game to give the Blugolds a 43-41 victory over Pacific Lutheran University in the NCAA Division III Sectional Semifinal here tonight at W.L. Zorn Arena.

The Blugolds move to 30-1 on the season while the Lutes end their season with a mark of 21-8.

Despite the low scoring affair, the Blugolds wore the Lutes down by gaining a 43-27 rebounding advantage and forcing Pacific Lutheran on the defensive side of the court for multiple possessions in a row. As a result of the rebounding margin, Eau Claire was able to outscore Pacific Lutheran 22-14 in the paint.

For the first time in the tournament, the Blugolds found themselves trailing early as the Lutes scored the first five points of the contest, keeping the capacity crowd at Zorn Arena quiet for the opening minutes. The Blugolds got on the board with just over 17 minutes to play when Brooke Wozniak (Jr-Stanley/Stanley-Boyd) put the ball on the floor and drove to the basket. After a Blugold defensive stand, Janel Soppeland (Sr-Cadott) got the crowd involved by draining a shot from behind the arc to even the score at five apiece.

Points were hard to come by in the first half as the Lutes hit just 8-of-25 from the floor while the Blugold connected on 7-of-26. Pacific Lutheran led 18-13 with 4:25 remaining when Eau Claire went on a 6-0 run to end the half. Eau Claire grabbed its first lead of the game with the run and headed into the break at halftime with a 19-18 advantage.

Trailing 30-24 with 11:04 remaining in the game the Blugolds battled back and took a one point lead with under nine minutes to play. Neither team opened up a lead of more than three points the rest of the game. With 3:36 left to play and the Blugold down by three, Katie Murphy (So-La Crosse/Aquinas) hit a huge shot from downtown that knotted the score and brought the crowd to their feet.

With the Blugolds in possession of the ball and the score knotted at 41, Kristi Channing got the ball on the right side and drove the baseline looking for an opening. She found an opportunity approximately nine feet from the hoop when she pulled up and drained the eventual game-winning shot. Pacific Lutheran's last second attempt sailed wide-right and the Blugolds walked away with a trip to the elite eight.

Channing and Soppeland each scored 11 for the Blugolds while Wozniak scored 10 to go along with 17 rebounds. She currently sits just five rebounds away from breaking the all-time single season Blugold rebounding record. No player on Pacific Lutheran scored in double digits.

In the preceding sectional semifinal game, second-ranked Hope University topped fifth-ranked Wilmington 77-73 in a fantastic duel between two high powered offenses. Hope jumped out to the early 7-0 lead but Wilmington closed the half on a 10-4 run to lead at half 43-38. Hope regained the lead in the second half and extended the advantage to as much as nine with 8:38 to play. The Lady Quakers would pull within three with six seconds to play but Hope hit a free throw after the foul to clinch the game.

Eau Claire will face Hope for a chance to go to the Final Four in Terre Haute, Indiana. The match up between the Blugolds and Flying Dutch is set for tomorrow night at 7:00 at W.L. Zorn Arena.

Eau Claire-Pacific Lutheran Box

Hope-Wilmington Box