North Carolina's championship in 94

[Teacherdeb]

I certainly hope that Coach Hatchell beats cancer. That said, I was remembering us playing NC in the tournament in 1994. We were leading and doing really well when a Carolina player, Tonya Sampson I think, elbowed Jen Rizotti and it looked deliberate. Jen was forced to leave the game and the team never recovered. NC went on to win the tournament, and I have always felt that we could have won that year.

 

[ASweet3781]

I certainly hope that Coach Hatchell beats cancer. That said, I was remembering us playing NC in the tournament in 1994. We were leading and doing really well when a Carolina player, Tonya Sampson I think, elbowed Jen Rizotti and it looked deliberate. Jen was forced to leave the game and the team never recovered. NC went on to win the tournament, and I have always felt that we could have won that year.

I have the game on DVD and you are correct. Sampson elbowed Rizzoti deliberately in the stomach early in the 2nd half. She was able to return. Robin Roberts calling the game knew it was deliberate too. That was back when they only had 2 referees and no replay. We had built a 7 point lead early in the 2nd half but it was clear UNC was the more athletic team and they quickly made it up. We did not get many calls in that game. Wolters had a great game but everyone else was bothered by UNC's athletes especially Lobo who had 11 turnovers I think.

What I don't understand about that year is how UNC was a 3 seed. A 3 seed! They lost 2 games the whole year. In fact the only 3 seeds to ever win the tournament just happened to be put in 1 seed UConn's bracket, UNC in '94 and Tennessee in '97.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

UNC's national championship was the game I watched on TV that made me a serious fan of the game. Attended my first live game the next year.

Tonya Sampson was a really hard nosed player, I recently read an article about her.

As to the 3 seed, if subsequent years are any indication, UNC probably had a cupcake diet during season. And the ACC wasn't what it became, with the development of Maryland (which had been good and was slumping), I think Duke was just entering the national picture, Clemson and NC State were "ok", etc.