‘Never satisfied’

As soon as the ball left her hand, Kristi Toliver knew she had authored the greatest play in Maryland women’s basketball history.

It has been nine months since Toliver’s dramatic last-second 3-pointer forced overtime against Duke in last year’s national championship game, but “the Shot” still reverberates through College Park.

With 6.1 seconds left in the title game, Toliver dribbled the ball upcourt, veering to the right. The freshman pulled up from behind the arc with Duke’s 6-foot-7 center Alison Bales lunging for a piece of Toliver’s shot. On her follow-through, Toliver felt Bales’ fingers touch her extended right hand. The ball fell through the cylinder, putting Maryland into overtime on its way to the program’s first national championship.

“I had no hesitation in taking that shot,” Toliver said. “I had complete confidence in it just knowing that I’ve done it before. I had the ball in my hands so I just decided to shoot it.”

Today at sold-out Cameron Indoor Stadium, No. 3 Duke (17-0, 3-0 ACC) faces the No. 1 Terps (18-0, 2-0) for the first time since the championship last April 4 in Boston.

Toliver’s shot remains a haunting reminder for the Blue Devils.

“I don’t think that shot, or the image of that shot, will ever leave any of our minds completely,” Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. “Fortunately, we’re given the opportunity just about once a week to see it on ACC Live. I’m sure the media will not let us forget that shot if we ever thought we could.”

Plays such as Toliver’s are what legends are made of. With games on the line, great players rise to the occasion to take the big shot.

Although Toliver, who hails from Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley, was playing in just her 38th college game, Maryland coach Brenda Frese trusted the freshman with the final shot. Defying her youth, Toliver answered the call like a savvy, seasoned veteran.

“We knew as the game was unfolding that we wanted Toliver to take the shot,” Frese said. “We didn’t run it exactly as diagrammed. If her shot got blocked, nobody would be mentioning her name. Now, she’s a household name.”

Only one other time has the NCAA women’s championship game featured a shot as clutch as Toliver’s. In the 1994 title game in Richmond, North Carolina forward Charlotte Smith — the niece of basketball legend David Thompson — came off a double screen on the right wing and nailed an improbable buzzer-beating 3-pointer to stun Louisiana Tech 60-59 and hand the Tar Heels their only national championship.

Until last April, Smith had cornered the women’s basketball market for instant stardom.

But, when March Madness draws near, television promotions hyping this year’s women’s NCAA tournament undoubtedly will have Toliver’s remarkable shot as part of any video montage.

“Kristi had a lot of options on that play, we put it [ball] in her hands and made the right decision,” senior guard Shay Doron said.

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