TVCC made Arizona pay in a big-time way.
Although they didn’t get off to a fast start, hitting just three of their first 16 shots, the Lady Cards were all over the Vaqueras in their air-tight, half-court defense. Arizona found early few openings and even fewer and fewer as the game grew old.
TVCC forced the Vaqueras into three shot-clock violations and repeatedly made them take other shots in desperation as the shot clock worked inside five seconds.
"We won with defense all year. You saw that again tonight," Budke said.
"I thought from start to finish, we had the best half-court defense in the nation," the Salina native continued. "We take pride in every possession, we try to challenge every pass and every possession and we just try to wear people out from getting tired of seeing hands up and someone always in their face."
Arizona actually led as late as the 8:30 mark of the first half. But that was all she wrote for the Vaqueras. TVCC, sparked by Shinika Parks, went on a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to open up a 35-23 lead.
Once the Lady Cards got going, veteran Arizona coach Lin Laursen stopped trying to stop TVCC in a man-to man defense and went to a 2-3 zone. Later, they tried a 1-3-1 zone and other combinations.
"We played every defense known," Laursen said.
Arizona initially stymied TVCC with the defensive switch, but only initially. Once Budke brought Sparkle Smith back into the game, TVCC capitalized inside. When Arizona adjusted, Von Kirk came off the bench to make the Vaqueras pay from long distance.
Arizona, having trailed 37-28 at the half, pulled within three on two early second half occasions. Monet Sykes’ 17-foot jumper cut TVCC’s lead to 39-33 at the 15:59 mark.
But TVCC went on a 16-0 run, with Smith inside and Yalika "Boo" Barnes along the baseline, to race to a 57-35 lead. After Kirk drilled back-to-back treys at the end of the run, Arizona used a timeout and went back to a man defense.
They never threatened again and were closed out at the buzzer as Trinidad freshman Annette Warren drove the baseline and got a layup to fall at the buzzer.
"We weren’t sharp tonight, but it wouldn’t have made any difference," Laursen said. "They’re (the Lady Cards) a great team and deserved to win.
"We would have had to play perfect to have had a chance. Tonight, we didn’t do that."
Barnes, named Most Valuable Player, and Parks paced the Lady Cards with 13 points each. Smith, an all-tournament selection, had 10. Parks also grabbed 11 rebounds, Smith 10.
Amanda Lassister was Arizona’s top scorer with 16 points.
"We didn’t forget," Budke said of the title loss and Arizona’s celebration. "We didn’t forget."
