Wooten times it right
Friday, March 24, 2006
By DICK BAKER
rbaker@repub.com

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - One for one.

With seven minutes left in the game, American International College coach Pete Cinella turned to Tiffany Wooten.

"We need a big shot, so be ready," he said.

Wooten nodded her head, and then with only 2:10 remaining, she took her only shot of the game.

It was a 3-pointer with the shot clock running down under five seconds. It gave the Yellow Jackets a 62-55 lead, and from there they pulled away to a 70-58 victory over St. Cloud State and a date in the Division II national championship game tomorrow.

Wooten also had four rebounds, two assists, no turnovers and a blocked shot in her 28 minutes.

LOWS AND HIGHS: In its previous two games prior to last night's national semifinal contest, AIC won while setting contrasting season marks.

The Yellow Jackets defeated Southern Connecticut 48-40 in the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional championship game, the fewest points they had given up all season. And then in the Elite Eight 86-79 victory over Emporia State, they set the season high for points scored in one game.

HOLDING HER BREATH: At Tuesday night's pre-tournament banquet, AIC senior Sharmion Selman was anxiously awaiting the announcement of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/Kodak Division II All-American team.

Only 10 players make it, and Selman had in mind a couple of people from the Northeast-10 she feared might edge her out. The good news came from what she didn't hear.

"When they finished naming the people who weren't here to accept, I knew I made it," said Selman, who becomes the first AIC women's player to gain All-American honors.

Selman has been red hot down the stretch. Entering last night, she had scored at least 16 points in each of the last 10 games, averaging 21.1 during that span. She lifted her season average to 17.1 with the 27 points against Emporia State in the quarterfinals. She had 26 more last night.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Although they don't get many minutes, junior Ashleigh Moore, sophomore Romara Pearsull, and freshman Isabel Rodzik spend countless hours contributing to the Yellow Jackets' success. Their positive attitude and energy level both at practice and off the court has been a help to the regulars.

"They're great kids," AIC coach Pete Cinella. "They know their role, and they've been great practice players."

Assistant coach Steve Marcil added that the teammates know that the trio's role is critical to the team.

"And they're treated as such," Marcil said. "No one on the team looks down on them."

Moore and Pearsull were teammates at East Bridgewater High School. Rodzik helped Cumberland High School (R.I.) to the state finals her senior year. A Boston native whose parents were born in Poland, Rodzik is a nursing major who hopes to specialize in cancer treatments.

Moore is also a member of the softball team, which she will join after basketball. And last year, she played for the field hockey team, playing it for the first time. "I really enjoyed it," she said, acknowledging that it's an interesting transition going from the field hockey team that won only one game to making the Elite Eight in basketball.

HELPING OUT: With her eight assists last night, Alissa Rubino tied the single-season AIC assist record of 148, set by now assistant coach Kristen Patterson of Agawam.

TOURNEY TIDBITS: Last year, St. Cloud lost to Merrimack College 79-78 in the first-round of the Elite Eight ... St. Cloud's only other losses this year were twice each to No. 2 North Dakota, and Augustana (21-11). Augustana defeated St. Cloud 80-77 in the North Central Conference tournament, but the Huskies got revenge with an 82-69 win in the NCAA North Central regional championship. .. When St. Cloud beat North Dakota (34-1) in the regional final, it came on the road, spoiling UND's perfect season and making a lot of other Division II powers happy. The fear was that North Dakota would sweep through the Elite Eight. ... Patterson's family and friends made reservations to watch last night's game together on ESPN-U at Chicago Sam's in Enfield. ... A Northeast-10 team has now made it to the Final Four each of the last four years with Merrimack qualifying in 2004 and 2005, and Bentley in 2003.