Auburn stuns Baylor with last-second shot
to capture title of 2003 Postseason WNIT
April 4, 2003; Waco, Texas - La'Coe Willingham's driving lay-up with 3.2 seconds remaining boosted Auburn over host Baylor in the 2003 WNIT Postseason Championship.
The layup capped a 9-0 game-ending run for Auburn (23-11). Baylor finished its season with a 24-11 record and played the championship game in front of 7,414 fans, the largest crowd of the season and the fifth-largest to ever watch a women's basketball game at the Ferrell Center. Baylor freshman Sophia Young scored 20 points and pulled down a WNIT record 25 rebounds, but a scoreless final three minutes cost the Lady Bears. Jessika Stratton had appeared to help put away Auburn when she nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:04 left in the game to give Baylor a 63-55 advantage. However, that was the end of the scoring for the Lady Bears. Baylor's final five possessions ended in three missed shots and two turnovers, including a last-second 18-foot jumper by Jordan Davis that drew the back of the rim and lipped out. Auburn's comeback victory dampened one of the greatest individual performances in Baylor women's basketball and WNIT history. Young established school and WNIT records for rebounds in a game, and her 68 rebounds for the tournament bested the previous WNIT record by 11 boards. Young became the first Lady Bear since Danielle Crockrom (Jan. 20, 2001) to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. Crockrom had 41 points and 22 rebounds against Texas A&M that night. Young and Steffanie Blackmon earned all-tournament honors for Baylor. Auburn's Natasha Brackett, who averaged 17.4 points in five WNIT games, was named tournament MVP. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Tia Miller, Colorado State's Shannon Strecker, and Laura Spanheimer of Creighton. ![]()
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2003 Postseason WNIT TeamsArizona State
Auburn Ball State Baylor Creighton Colorado State Delaware Florida International Florida State Fresno State Georgetown Hawaii Indiana State Iowa Maine Marquette Missouri Montana Montana State Northern Iowa Oregon State Richmond Saint Louis Santa Clara Seton Hall Siena South Alabama St. Joseph's Toledo UNLV Western Illinois Wyoming |