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The Rice Thresher
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by JASON GERSHMAN THRESHER STAFF
In front of a national TV audience on ESPN, Cafferty bested Lisa Griffith of the University of Arizona to win the women's national three-point shooting title at the 12th annual NCAA Slam Dunk & Three-Point Shooting Championship on March 30. But before calling it a night, Cafferty edged the men's champion, Richie Frahm of Gonzaga University, in the "Shootout of the Sexes" to lay claim to the title of the best collegiate three-point shooter in the land. Even though the event was very laid-back, Cafferty said winning the title was very exciting. "It was so much fun," Cafferty said. "The next morning in the airport, I had a huge trophy to carry with me. It was amazing how many people recognized me from the contest and stopped me to talk to me or take pictures with me. It was just a fun contest. People didn't go in thinking that they would be upset if they lost." The event, which also included a slam dunk contest, took place at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of the festivities for last weekend's men's Final Four. In the three-point contest, players took five shots from each of five stations around the three-point arc, including two on the baseline, one at the top of the key and one at each "corner." The first four balls at each station were worth one point each while the final ball was worth two, and each shooter had one minute to complete all 25 shots. After leading the field of eight women - all seniors - with 19 first-round points, Cafferty scored 17 points in the second round, second only to Griffith's 18. The two faced off in the final, with Cafferty leading off because of her lower second-round score. She tallied just 11 points, but Griffith managed only seven to give Cafferty the title. "I was tired going into the finals," Cafferty said. "There was just a couple of minutes between each round. Going first, there was no score for me to beat. I didn't even think about a score to aim for, I just went out and shot." Despite the fatigue factor - not to mention an hour-long wait while the men's contest took place - Cafferty knew what was at stake during the "Shootout of the Sexes." "The night before, we were eating dinner, and the eight women said that we didn't care who won it as long as they beat the guy," she told the Houston Chronicle. "After I did, he didn't talk to me the rest of the weekend." The shootout went down to the final two-point shot, but Cafferty buried the "money ball" to win 16-14. She became the second consecutive woman to win the overall title and the third in the past four years. "People said that I may be cold because I sat there for over an hour," she said. "But he shot back-to-back-to-back, so he may have been tired. ... The other girls were really excited after I won. They were jumping and going crazy." Cafferty, likely the lowest-profile senior on this season's Rice squad, admits the instant fame that has come with the championship has been stunning. "I'm not used to the attention at all," she said. "It was crazy and a little overwhelming. After the events, all these kids were running up to me to get a piece of my uniform, like my shoes, for a souvenir. It's funny because I don't get asked for autographs, even at Rice games. I'm the one they walk by to get to my teammates." Cafferty, who finished her Rice career with school records for most three-pointers in a game (seven) and three-pointers in a season (74), went from Indianapolis to a banquet in Philadelphia, where the women's Final Four was held. She received the Charles T. Stoner Scholarship, worth $1,000, from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The award is given annually to a women's basketball player who will attend law school. Cafferty will graduate from Rice in May with a triple major in economics, psychology and managerial studies before heading to law school. "It was great," Cafferty said. "I thought there would be a lot of people at the banquet, but there were only eight of us receiving awards. It was amazing to get up in front of all of those women's basketball coaches, players and administrators." Cafferty, from Arden Hills, Minn., wrapped up her busy week with finger surgery on Tuesday morning. The operation marked the end of a career that many Rice women's basketball fans won't soon forget. "I'm afraid to check my e-mail again, because every time I do, there's 20 or more messages, half of [which] are from complete strangers," Cafferty said. "People are writing, 'I'm a basketball fan ...' or, 'I grew up in Minnesota, hence I'm a Jenny Cafferty fan ...' People are writing me with congratulations from all over the country. It's exciting and a bit overwhelming." - back - |
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