First win of season brings out sense of competition in women's team

Washington coach June Daugherty pleaded with officials for 0.9 seconds at the end of their overtime season opener with Indiana.\nShe won the argument, but those 0.9 seconds cost her team the game.\nFriday, in a wild game that the Huskies forced into overtime with a miraculous three-pointer, IU guard Tara Jones hit a three from the corner as time expired to lift the Hoosiers past Washington, 77-74.\n"I'm really glad (Washington) fought for those 0.9 seconds," said IU coach Kathi Bennett, who earned her first win in the process. "It turned out to be a blessing." \nWith the game tied, Jones was sent to the free-throw line after Washington's LeAnn Sheets was called for a hand check foul as the final buzzer sounded. After deliberation at the scorer's table with coaches, the referees set the clock at 0.9 seconds.\nJones, a 70-percent free-throw shooter last season, missed both shots. The ball bounced off the hands of two Huskies defenders and out of bounds with 0.7 seconds left. Jones, who had been 2-for-14 from the field, took the inbound pass from junior guard Heather.\nTrailing by three with 7.8 seconds left in regulation play, Huskies' guard Giuliana Mendiola sent the game to overtime with an acrobatic three.\nMendiola's first shot was knocked out of her hands on the way up by Cassady. Mendiola recovered the ball with her back to the basket, turned and flicked a shot that sent the Husky bench jumping. Mendiola finished with 15 points.\nTrailing by six with just under 10 minutes to play, the Huskies top threat, Megan Franza, made her first shot, a three-pointer that cut the lead in half. The 5-11 senior caught fire from there, shooting 7-for-11 with a constant hand in her face, finishing with a game-high 23 points.\nBut her late burst of scoring wasn't enough. \n"They definitely played good man-to-man defense, but I got some good looks and they just didn't fall," Franza said. "You get that adrenaline pumping in the first game and the shots are just a little long.\n"It was important for me to relax and play the game like I do every other day."\nCassady, who played 36 minutes to lead the Hoosiers, finished with 15 points and four assists. Jones added 10 points and eight assists.\nWith four Hoosiers in double-figures and nine scoring overall, Bennett was extremely pleased with the team's balance and overall confidence in their first game.\n"There wasn't anybody on the floor who didn't want the ball down the stretch," Bennett said. "And that's a neat feeling to know the competition brought out the best in us.\n"That's a great sign"