Women's College Basketball
Notebook: Powell seeks to accomplish 2 goals at once

By The Associated Press

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NORMAN, Okla. — In one game, All-American Nicole Powell of Stanford has the chance to achieve two goals she has held for years — beating Tennessee and getting to the Final Four.

Powell will get her opportunity tonight when sixth-seeded Stanford (27-6) takes on top-seeded Tennessee (29-3) in the Midwest regional final.

"They have a good program and they have so much history," Powell said of the Vols. "They are the ultimate powerhouse, and you can join them or you can beat them."

Powell is a three-time Naismith Award finalist and a two-time Pac-10 player of the year. She ranks among the top four in career points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers and free throws at Stanford, a program with an impressive history of its own. Stanford has put 18 players in the WNBA.

With six career triple-doubles, Powell is the lone player in Pac-10 history to accomplish the feat more than once.

But she has not beaten Tennessee, although she came close earlier this season.

Powell had 32 points and 16 rebounds in the Cardinal's 70-66 overtime loss to visiting Tennessee on Dec. 14 at Maples Pavilion. She missed her final 10 field-goal attempts in that game, including shots that would have won the game in regulation and tied the score with 11 seconds left in overtime.

"I think in the end she could just as easily have made a couple of shots," Vols coach Pat Summitt said.

A win would lift Stanford to its first Final Four since its string of three straight was broken with a loss to 16th-seeded Harvard in 1998.
 
Summitt said Powell has a great pro career ahead of her. She said she was glad Tennessee had played Stanford in the regular season.

"I'd hate to think this was our first look at Nicole Powell," Summitt said.

Tennessee advanced to the regional final by beating Baylor with two free throws by Tasha Butts after officials put 0.2 seconds back on the clock and called a foul against the Bears' Jessika Stratton.

Baylor wants an explanation from the NCAA.

"Baylor University has been in communication with the Big 12 Conference and the two parties will jointly request a review and clarification of the events surrounding the controversial finish of Sunday night's Baylor-Tennessee game from the NCAA women's basketball championship committee," Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw said yesterday.

Summitt said she didn't think the victory was tainted.

The Cardinal also advanced with winning points with less than a second left.

Stanford's Kelley Suminski made a three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left that beat Vanderbilt 57-55.

Duke will attend to 'unfinished business'

NORFOLK, Va. — One team has been a No. 1 seed four years in a row. The other has been to the NCAA tournament a total of four times.

In tonight's Mideast regional final between Duke and Minnesota, the pressure of high expectations is on the Blue Devils, who have reached two straight Final Fours and lost in the semifinals each time.

"It's sort of unfinished business," said Alana Beard, Duke's three-time All-American. "Sometimes I wake up in tears thinking about how much this class deserves it and how much I want it for this program."

"It" is a national championship, three wins away for the Blue Devils (30-3) and Golden Gophers (24-8).

"It's kind of hard just to put off to the side and ignore because there's such a strong fire burning inside of my heart," Beard said.

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