NDSU's Fourth Straight Division II Women's Basketball Championship One of The 25 Defining Moments in NCAA History
1/30/2006 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
North Dakota State winning a fourth straight NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship in 1996 has selected as one of the “25 Defining Moments in NCAA History”. The Bison four-year run included a perfect 32-0 season in 1994-95 and a 49-game winning streak, one of the longest in NCAA history.
"It's an honor to be recognized by the NCAA, especially when you look at all the signficant events that have taken place over the past 100 years," said NDSU head women's basketball coach Amy Ruley, who directed the Bison to five national titles and eight championship game appearances.
"It's more of an honor for the university, the program, the student-athletes, the administrators and staff involved."
ESPN Classic and ESPNU are airing “25 Defining Moments in NCAA History” throughout the months of January, March and September. Each moment is a 30-second vignette that highlights the most exciting, important and memorable events in the NCAA's history. The vignettes began airing January 2 on ESPN Classic and ESPNU.
A LOOK BACK: For a few cherished moments late on the afternoon of March 23, 1996, life in the world of North Dakota State women's basketball was perfect. It doesn't just happen in the movies. The film “Fargo” debuted earlier in the week. The real show, with real characters and real emotions, was at the Bison Sports Arena. There is no way Jen Rademacher could have written a better ending to her career. Her last shot was a 3-point field goal. Swish. It gave the Bison 100 points. It was the toast of 6,534 fans. It was part of a 104-78 celebration over an outmatched Shippensburg University that gave NDSU the 1996 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball tournament title. In finishing 30-2, the Bison claimed their fourth national championship and fifth in six years. Their 104 points set an NCAA championship game record, eclipsing last year's 98 against Portland State. “Highlights,” Rademacher said, in repeating a question. “There are four.” Rademacher and senior Lori Roufs each won their fourth NCAA ring, something that can only be duplicated. Their last game, however, will never be replicated. Roufs led all scorers with 28 points and all rebounders with 10. Rademacher hit 7 of 8 field goals and finished with 15 points. NDSU had a 57-percent accuracy against a man-to-man defense. The Lady Raiders, then, started the second half with a zone. Rhonda Birch and Theresa Lang promptly drilled NDSU's first 3-point field goal attempts of the game for a 63-35 advantage. In short, it was a dominating performance. For the second straight year, Kasey Morlock of NDSU was named most outstanding player of the tournament. In three games, she scored 54 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. Joining Morlock on the all-tournament team were Roufs and Rademacher of NDSU, Jennifer Clarkson and Caroline Omamo of Abilene Christian, and Shippensburg's Spencer.
JEN RADEMACHER REFLECTS: "First of all, being on a team that has been chosen to represent what the NCAA is all about is such an honor and a previledge. During the time that were winning championships, I don't think we could have realized the magnitude of what was going on. Like all teams that sacrifice and work hard we felt like we deserved to win. We were just fortunate to have that once in a lifetime combination of talent, chemestry, hard work, luck, (no major injuries in four years) and committment to the team that allowed us to achieve an unbelievable outcome. The main credit, of course, goes to Coach and Kelli who were the archeticts behind everything we did. We were always put in situations where we could be successful. Then it was all of the athletes who were part of those magical four years. They were not only great basketball players but great people. The comraderie we had was present on and off court. Years later, we all remain friends. Winning the four championships was remarkable but when we get together, we don't talk about what happened on the court, we talk about the fun we had together off the court. That is what made us realize our defining moment."
KASEY MORLOCK REFLECTS: "I think that is amazing! That is all because of Amy Ruley. She sets the standard for her players and puts them in positions to succeed. I was just lucky enough to play for her."
LORI ROUFS REFLECTS: "What a great honor for the program. This is a real tribute to the coaching staff and the people in the program who have been so committed to making NDSU successful. I consider myself fortunate to have played for Coach Ruley and Kelli, as well as having had such incredible experiences and opportunities. Now, years later, I still have great memories and friendships that came out of four years of basketball at NDSU."
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Coach Ruley is still at NDSU, a majority of the student-athletes live in the region (here are several athletes): Lori (Roufs) Hanson is a sixth grade teacher and coach at Monticello, MN; Tanya (Fischer) Jagodzinski is a pediatric resident at the University of Wisconsin Hospital; Brenna (Stefonowicz) Janke is a financial analyst for the Northwestern Corporation in Sioux Falls; Amy (Ornell) Kalmes is working in corporate & community fitness in the New Brighton area; Kasey Morlock is a software engineer at IBM in Rochester, MN; Andrea (Kelly) Opland teaches and coaches in Hutchinson, MN; Rachael Otto is an assistant coach at Minnesota-Duluth; Jen Rademacher is teaching and coaching at Cooper High School; Rhonda (Birch) Randkley is a nurse at Merit Care in Fargo; Theresa (Lang) Schmidt works as a buyer for Marshall Fields in Minneapolis; Molly (Reif) Vigen works as an application analyst for Dakota/Innovis Health in Fargo.
The “25 Most Defining Moments in NCAA History” were chosen by a special panel that included college presidents, athletics directors, faculty representatives, student-athletes and conference representatives as the top moments that best represent the NCAA's 100-year history.
The NCAA celebrates is 100th anniversary in 2006.
The “25 Most Defining Moments in NCAA History” included several other notable basketball events (not in any particular order):
* The 1979 Final Four championship game, featuring Earvin “Magic” Johnson from Michigan State University and Larry Bird from Indiana State University, earns the highest TV rating (24.1) of any title game before or since;
* The NCAA and CBS Sports in 1999 reach an 11-year, $6 billion agreement for television, radio, Internet, corporate marketing, licensing, publishing, home video and Hoop City rights for the Division I men's basketball championship;
* The first men's basketball championship is held at Northwestern on March 27, 1939;
* The UCLA men's basketball team wins a seventh straight NCAA title in 1973;
* Loyola (Illinois) faces Mississippi State in a 1963 men's basketball tournament regional semifinal. Mississippi State, an all-white team, sneaks out of town in the middle of the night despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi to play a Loyola team that features four black starters. Mississippi State overcame an unwritten Mississippi rule against playing integrated teams with a cloak-and-dagger flight to the North just one step ahead of a court injunction. Loyola beats Mississippi State and goes on to win the title;
* On March 19, 1966, Texas Western and its five African-American starters defeat Kentucky 72-65;
* In 2003, North Carolina wins the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship for the 18th time (in the past 23 seasons) while finishing the season undefeated at 27-0;
* Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt leads her Lady Vols past Purdue in the 2005 NCAA tournament to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history;
* In what many believe is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball, North Carolina State's Lorenzo Charles dunks the ball as time expires in the 1983 championship game to lead the Wolfpack to a 54-52 win over heavily favored Houston;
* North Dakota State wins a fourth straight Division II Women's Basketball Championship in 1996. The four-year run includes a perfect season in 1994-95 and a 49-game winning streak, one of the longest in NCAA history;
* Marymount basketball student-athlete Corinne Carson becomes one of the first known collegiate athletes to return to the sport after a liver transplant. She is named the WBCA National Player of the Year in Division III for 1997.
