JMU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 1991 NCAA TEAM -- Q&A WITH PLAYER JEANINE MICHEALSEN

Click Here for a story on the reunion of the 1991 team and links to highlight videos from the 1991 NCAA Tournament games.

This is one of a series of articles about the 1991 JMU women's basketball team's NCAA Tournament victory over top-ranked Penn State. Player Jeanine Michealsen shares her memories of that year with JMU senior public relations major Taylor Simon.

Q. What are some of your favorite memories from game day?
A. My personal favorite memory was the block I made on the final shot at the end of the game.

Q. What was the turning point in that game?
A. The first seven minutes of the second half when we came out strong. I remember Penn State Coach Rene Portland calling a timeout as we were chipping away at their lead. It was a realization for them that they were not as big as they thought they were. I also remember around the same point in the game, Penn State's top player, Susan Robinson was benched with her fourth foul, which really helped us gain on them.

Q. Who do you believe had the biggest impact on that game?
A. Everyone who played had a chance to compete and everyone had their part. We pressed hard in the second half, and every player was in the game and in the moment. It was something like a freak event that just should not have happened, but it did.

Q. If there was one thing only an insider would know about that day, what would it be?
A. We dumped a cooler of water on Coach (Sheila) Moorman after the game, and I remember she had to go back out for the press conference. She was panicking, trying to blow-dry her clothes with the wall dryers, yet she was trying to stay calm. It was the first time I had seen her not completely put together.

Another story is that I ran into a woman who had been on the Penn State team we had played against. She remembered how I had blocked that shot, and she told me how that 1991 team has never to her knowledge watched the film of the ending of that game. No one reviewed the tape or wanted to, including Coach Portland.

Q. How do you think this win affected the JMU community?
A. Coach Moorman created a sense of community, and the community embraced the women's basketball program. She recognized that our fans and supporters were going to come from the community, so she focused on steering athletes toward the community. Coach made sure we were visible in the community. Coming back from that specific game, I couldn't believe how many fans were there when we got off the bus and how supportive they were overall for us.

Q. How would you say that game has changed your life?
A. In athletics one is lucky to have success. You learn to deal with the criticisms but benefit from the uniqueness. Athletics teaches us lessons that prepare us for life, and teaches us to never sell yourself short.

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