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Tigers Get So Close Again

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By CARTER GADDIS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 7, 2008

TAMPA - They overcame the death of a beloved coach, the scandal-ridden resignation of another coach and the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.

For five consecutive seasons, under four different coaches, nothing kept the Louisiana State Tigers out of the Women's Final Four. They took their game to New Orleans, Indianapolis, Boston and Cleveland.

Each time, they left those Final Four destinations disappointed, without even an appearance in a championship game to show for it.

It happened again Sunday at the Forum, where Southeastern Conference rival and defending national champion Tennessee edged the Tigers 47-46. LSU's eight seniors ended their careers having come tantalizingly close to their championship dream four years in a row.

"I think we've had an awesome career here," senior guard Erica White said. "For any team to make it to the Final Four one time, I don't care what anyone says, is an accomplishment. For us to get here every year is definitely something that no one can discredit. We have done some amazing things here."

They were closer than ever to breaking through on Sunday, when White's two free throws with seven seconds left gave LSU a 46-45 lead. The celebration was short-lived, though, because Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle made her only basket of the game with 0.7 seconds left.

When it was over, after a desperation heave was intercepted by the Lady Vols at half-court, LSU All-America center Sylvia Fowles screamed and threw her mouthpiece at the bench.

Fowles, who overcame severe leg cramps to score 24 points and grab 20 rebounds, has the WNBA draft to look forward to Wednesday. When she and her fellow seniors look back on their college careers, they'll do so with a sense of achievement after becoming the second team to participate in five consecutive Women's Final Fours (Connecticut, from 2000-04, was the other).

"I think we etched ourselves into history," senior forward Ashley Thomas said Saturday. "That's the one thing we've done. Most of all, we've stuck together through whatever was thrown at us, which is why we've been here four, or some of us five years."

They stuck together through the 2005 death of longtime LSU coach Sue Gunter and through the resignation last year of Gunter's replacement, Pokey Chatman, after allegations of sexual impropriety.

They thrived with current associate head coach Bob Starkey at the helm as the interim head coach, and they willed their way to Tampa this year with Hall of Famer and four-time WNBA championship coach Van Chancellor in charge.

They came within less than one second Sunday of finally breaking through. Instead, they had to settle for a fifth consecutive early departure from a Final Four city.

"I just wanted them to experience winning a game at the Final Four," Chancellor said. "And I just felt bad, because some way, somehow, I couldn't help them get there."

Reporter Carter Gaddis can be reached at (813) 259-8291 or igaddis@tampatrib.com.

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