Purdue beats Duke for women's crown

The Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Pretty, it wasn't. But Purdue will take it. After starting the season by beating three-time defending champion Tennessee, Purdue ended it by winning the title itself. Purdue bounced back after the worst half ever in an NCAA championship game and beat Duke 62-45 last night for its first national title. And for the top-ranked Boilermakers, that was absolutely beautiful. It happened because seniors Ukari Figgs and Stephanie White-McCarty, who had gone through so many tough times early in their career, refused to get down after the team's terrible first half. They were the driving force in a 12-1 second half run that pulled the Boilermakers from behind and put them ahead to stay. Figgs, scoreless in an 0-for-7 first half, had six points in the run and finished with 18 to earn the award as the outstanding player in the Final Four. White-McCarty had one basket and helped keep the team together with her poise before being injured late in the game. The Boilermakers (34-1), who finished with 32 straight victories, then made enough baskets and defensive stands down the stretch to keep Duke (29-7) at bay, even as White-McCarty, a unanimous All-American, sat out the final 4:01 after spraining her left ankle. The loss ended an improbable run through the tournament by Duke, as well as any hope of a unique ''double'' for the Blue Devils' basketball program. The Duke men are favored in Monday night's men's championship game with Connecticut. The Duke women had earned their first Final Four trip by ending Tennessee's hopes for a fourth straight title, beating the Lady Vols in the East regional finals. The championship was all the sweeter for White-McCarty and Figgs because of what they had endured early in their careers. They played for three coaches in their first three seasons at Purdue and saw their team ripped apart when coach Lin Dunn was fired following their freshman year in 1996. They were among just three players who stayed. Amazingly, two of those who left played for Duke Sunday night: Michele VanGorp and Nicole Erickson. The victory also happily closed out Carolyn Peck's brief but successful tenure at Purdue. Peck is leaving after just two seasons as the Boilermakers' coach to become coach and general manager of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle. Duke led 22-17 after a first half filled with turnovers and missed shots and was up 30-28 when Purdue started clicking by driving the ball to the basket instead of settling for jump shots as the Boilermakers had done previously. Katie Douglas scored on a drive to start it. Then Figgs drove down the left side of the lane for a bank shot that put Purdue ahead 32-30. It was a lead the Boilermakers would not relinquish, but they were far from finished. After the 6'6" VanGorp sank a free throw, Figgs drove past her for a basket, White-McCarty drove left and pulled up for a 10-footer, Camille Cooper made a layup and Figgs drove once more for a pull-up jumper to finish the run and make it 40-31. VanGorp's layup drew Duke to 42-38 with 7:48 left, but Douglas sank a three-pointer to widen the lead again and the Blue Devils would not get closer than five again. But it was scary for the Boilermakers when White-McCarty collapsed to the floor after missing a shot with about 4:20 left. She spit her mouthguard about 10 feet away as she rolled on the floor in tears and pain while play continued at the other end. Hilary Howard took advantage of Purdue's short-handed defense by making a three-pointer to cut the lead 47-42 and the officials finally could stop the clock with 4:01 remaining to get White-McCarty off the floor. She watched the rest of the game nervously from the bench, holding hands with assistant coach Kerry Cremeans or teammate Tiffany Young. She need not have worried. Her teammates were too cool, too collected to let this one get away and they made 15-of-16 free throws in the final 3:49 to stay in control.