April 3, 1993 – Sheryl Swoopes scored 47 points, a championship game record for women and men, to lead Texas Tech University over Ohio State, 84-82, in the NCAA women's basketball final in Atlanta. It was perhaps the most electrifying performance in the 12-year history of the women's tournament.
"At a point in the game, I just felt I wanted to take control," said Swoopes, a 6-foot senior forward from Brownfield, Texas. "I felt like I wanted to score every time I got the ball."
She nearly did, hitting a championship-game-record 16 field goals, as well as all 11 of her free throws, smashing 10 tournament records in the process.
Swoopes, who had five straight 30-plus NCAA tournament games, as well as 53 points in the Southwest Conference tournament final, had obliterated the women's championship game record of 28 points. (The men's record is held by Bill Walton of UCLA who scored 44 points in the 1973 men's final against Memphis State)
NCAA records set by Texas Tech's Sheryl Swoopes (old records in parentheses):
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Points — 177 (134, Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee, 1989).
Field goals — 56 (53, Gordon, 1989).
Free throws — 57 (41, Carolyn Jones, Auburn, 1990).
FINAL FOUR
Points — 78 (56, Clarissa Davis, Texas, 1986).
Field goals — 27 (22, Gordon, 1989).
Field goal attempts — 48 (42, Gordon, 1989).
Free throws made (tied) — 19 (Jones, 1990).
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Points — 47 (28, Dena Head, Tennessee, 1991, and Dawn Staley, Virginia, 1991).
Points in half — 24 (18, Head, Staley and Cynthia Cooper, Southern Cal, 1986).
Field goals — 16 (12, Erica Westbrooks, Louisiana Tech, 1988).
Free throw percentage (tied) — 11-11, 100 percent (Mary Ostrowski, Tennessee, 1984, and Julie Zeilstra, Stanford, 1990.
