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Tuesday, 3/27/2001
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Tuesday, 3/27/2001
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Liz Nicol/Senior Photographer ARCH MADNESS: Lindsey Hicks, Mo-nique Langston, Candi Crawford and Beth Jones celebrate Purdue's 88-78 victory over Xavier in the Mideast Regional on Monday. The Boilers move on to play Southwest Missouri State in the Final Four in St. Louis. |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Some have been there before. For others it will be their first time. But nothing can take away the magic of a Final Four.
"I'm so very proud," said Purdue coach Kristy Curry, who advanced to her first Final Four as a head coach as No. 3 seed Purdue (30-6) beat No. 4 seed Xavier (31-3) 88-78 Monday night in Birmingham-Jefferson Arena. "I told all of them 'You should feel very blessed. You can coach a lifetime, you can play a lifetime and you can be very good at what you do and never have the opportunity that we're about to have.'"
Two years ago, the Boilers went to the Final Four and won the national championship. In 1994, Purdue advanced to the Final Four and lost to eventual champion North Carolina in the semifinals. But few expected the Boilers to make it the Final Four in 2001.
The Boilers will play Southwest Missouri State, the winner of the West Regional, in one semifinal Friday night in St. Louis, while defending champion Connecticut and Notre Dame face off in the other semifinal. The winners play for the national championship Sunday.
"We've got some unfinished business," said Curry. "We're going to St. Louis. We're not just thankful to get there. That was No. 1 on our goal sheet at the start of the year. But we're not just talking about it going to the Final Four, we want to go to win."
After the final buzzer sounded, the team was ecstatic, dancing to the band as it played.
"I don't know what kind of emotion I'm feeling," said freshman Shalicia Hurns. "I'm ready to go. This has been such a big goal of ours all year just right now for it to be reality is kind of weird, because we've been talking St. Louis this, St. Louis that. I'm just very excited."
In St. Louis, Kelly Komara doesn’t want to visit the Arch or see Mark McGwire hit a home run on opening day. The junior has just one thing on her mind.
"Win a national championship."
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