The drive to win

ATLANTA -- Dane Fife writes this story every week. \nThe senior's defense shuts down an opponent's top scorer, frustrates him and then the opponent smiles about it afterward. \nSaturday was no different. Just ask Oklahoma leading scorer Hollis Price. \n"Fife did a great job," Price said. "He was so physical. I usually get around that. But tonight, I just didn't overcome it. He did a great job."\nPrice finished 1 of 11 from the field and scored a season-low six points. He missed six of his seven three-pointers after shooting 39 percent from there this season, committed two turnovers and was never a factor in IU's 73-64 national semifinal victory in the Georgia Dome. \nFife, who is tied with Steve Alford for IU's all-time mark with 178 steals, held Duke's Mike Dunleavy to 5-of-16 shooting during the regional semifinals and helped buckle down Kent State's Trevor Huffman to 2 of 7 from the floor during the regional final. \nHe'll be expected to do the same tonight against Maryland's Juan Dixon, who is scoring 27.4 points per game in the tournament this season. But Saturday, the focus was on Price, his struggles and Fife's approach. \n"Mainly, I just wanted to keep in front of him," Fife said. "I think he missed his share of open shots, which really had nothing to do with our defense."\nBut it did. \nFife pestered Price, whose only bucket came nearly 35 minutes into the game, then got help from the IU front line when Price managed to beat Fife off the dribble or around a screen. \nIU blocked eight shots and protected the lane while Fife did the chasing. Fife has been accused of playing "dirty" this season, but he denied that during the week leading up to the game, instead saying he gets under the skin of top scorers.\nPrice maintained his composure, but his game was off-track. \n"Hollis Price is a big-time basketball player, big-time basketball player," IU coach Mike Davis said. "For him to go 1 for 11 hurt them, and Dane had a lot to do with that."\nLEACH LURKING\nIU's bench had scored at least 18 points in the last six games before Saturday, when it erupted for a season-best 41 points. Oklahoma's reserves scored just 12 points. \n"We have nine players who can really go out there and play," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said.\nThe ninth, sophomore center George Leach, played only six minutes against the Sooners, but blocked two shots and scored three points. It was the first time Leach scored since a Feb. 13 loss to Wisconsin, when he scored five points. \nWithin seconds of checking into the game in the first half, Leach swatted two shots and changed another, slammed home a jam and hit a free throw. \n"I was thinking 'Don't mess up. Don't mess up,'" Leach joked after the game. "After the second block, I guess I got my poise a little bit, and I was fine after that."\nIU's bench has outscored its opponents reserves 121-65 in the tournament and has not been outscored since the first-round win against Utah. \nCLOSING IN... AND ADDING ON\nSophomore forward Jared Jeffries scored eight points Saturday, moving him within nine of 1,000 career points. \nJeffries has scored 991 career points, good for 36th on IU's all-time scoring list. Jeffries needs 40 points to pass Butch Joyner (1966-1968) to move to 35th. \nShould Jeffries score nine points against Maryland tonight, he will become just the fifth Hoosier sophomore to score 1,000 points. The others are Calbert Cheaney, Steve Alford, Don Schlundt, Mike Woodson and Jay Edwards. \nFife, Hornsby and junior guard Tom Coverdale are all in the top 10 in IU history for most three pointers in one season. Coverdale and Hornsby each have 68 three pointers, tying them for sixth all-time. Fife has 63, good for ninth. Alford holds the record with 107 in one season, and Edwards is second with 81. \nIU extended its single-season blocks record with eight more Saturday. The Hoosiers have now blocked 189 shots this season, erasing the old mark of 178, set last season. \n'BRAND' NEW TRADITION\nIU President Myles Brand stood outside the interview room in the Georgia Dome Saturday smiling after hearing IU coach Mike Davis wrap up his press conference. \nBrand, who received the game ball from Davis after IU clinched a Final Four berth against Kent State March 23, had nothing but praise for Davis, who has landed IU in the championship game in just his second season as the IU coach -- it's his first season as the head coach, after completing last year as the interim coach after Brand fired Bob Knight. \n"It's incredible," Brand said of IU's run to the national title game. "It keeps getting better and better."\nAnd what about IU's chances to clinch the school's first national championship in 15 years tonight? \n"We're going to win," Brand said without hesitation and with another wide smile.