Dunbar-led Slappy's All-Stars wins women's title
By KATIE HUGHES
Sports Writer
Slappy's All-Stars defeated the Hardcore Strokers 21-16 in the final game of the women's Bookstore tournament.
Senior Imani Dunbar, a reserve guard for the Irish women's basketball team, became the only varsity team member who can boast two championships in 2001 as she scored 10 points for Slappy's in her last officiated game at Notre Dame.
Varsity teammates and graduating seniors Ruth Riley, Kelley Siemon, Meghan Leahy and Ericka Haney watched from the sidelines.
"Ericka is our coach," said Dunbar, who was named MVP of the women's tournament. "But she's kind of a deadbeat coach. She shows up to give us four words of wisdom before our games."
"It's awesome to win a bookstore championship," said Dunbar. "This plaque is going on the top shelf. The whole thing was so much fun."
Abbey Coons, named to the all-tournament First-team, scored four for Slappy's, and Krisa Diaz scored the winning basket. Kristen McGovern scored three, Coons scored four and Jen Stefanski added one for Slappy's.
"The second half seemed to go much faster," said Coons. "We were making more shots and running more. Imani was a huge factor in our win. She really drove the ball and got the job done."
The Hardcore Strokers, ranked sixth going into the tournament, kept it intense in the first half, never letting Slappy's get more than one point ahead for most of the game. The Strokers' Anne Blair, Elizabeth Linkous, Jaime Dineen, Kristen Matha and Shaun Russell — all members of Saint Mary's varsity team — resisted every push and answered every point until the half, when the score reached 11-8. The Strokers' Matha had eight rebounds, and Russell scored six points for the Strokers.
To get to Sunday's tournament, the Hardcore Strokers defeated Five Girls Who Got Cut From The Cheerleading Squad's Meghan Crisham, Kelly Cooney, Kate Ward, Jane Sarson and Amy Anderson 21-16.
Anderson, who won the tournament in 1999 and 2000, was named Miss Bookstore, an award given to the player who exemplifies the spirit of Bookstore Basketball. Slappy's All-Stars defeated the Hoopers' Lynn Olsowy, Heather Hoffman, Melissa Marcotte, Katie Burdick and Marianna Seitz 21-17.
"[The Hoopers] had more plays, and they were a lot more organized than us," said Coons of the Cavanaugh-dominated, orange-and-white clad Hoopers.
For anyone who wishes to challenge the reign of Slappy's star-Dunbar, the end of Bookstore does not mean the end of pick-up games.
"You'll find me at Rolf's [Monday] at four," said Dunbar.
All Sports Stories for Monday, April 30, 2001
