AUSTIN, Texas -- Tracy Claxton is known to her friends and teammates around the Old Dominion campus as the 'Chairman of the Boards.'
She lived up to her title Sunday and even took on a limited partner in Medina Dixon.
Their overwhelming domination of the backboards, clearly more than any other factor, brought the Lady Monarchs a 70-65 victory over Georgia and their third national championship in seven years.
Given Old Dominion's rebounding advantage, the only surprise was that Georgia stayed as close as it did.
Not only were the Lady Bulldogs demolished on the backboards, they lost two of their stars to fouls when the game was still in doubt.
'The bottom line in this game,' said Georgia coach Andy Landers, 'was rebounding. Old Dominion did and we didn't.'
Old Dominion outrebounded Georgia 57-30. Claxton, a 6-foot-2 senior, claimed 20 -- 12 on the offensive end. Dixon, a 6-3 senior, had 15 rebounds, including 7 off offensive glass.
At one point midway through the second half, Old Dominion made 5 straight baskets off offensive rebounds.
Georgia managed to stay close, however, thanks to some long-range shooting by Lisa O'Connor and Traci Waites, and the game was tied 59-59 with 4:22 left.
But the Lady Bulldogs could not score for the next 2:22 while Old Dominion ran off 6 straight points to take command.
Claxton, who transferred to Old Dominion from Kansas three years ago, finished her collegiate career with 1,999 points. She scored 17 Sunday while Dixon had 18 and Marie Christian 11. Georgia was led by Waites with 19.
Teresa Edwards fouled out with 11 points and 8:16 to play, and Catrina McClain had just 8 points before fouling out with 5:34 remaining. They teamed for 54 points Friday in the Lady Bulldogs' semifinal victory over Western Kentucky.
Sunday's triumph was particularly sweet for Old Dominion coach Marianne Stanley, who led her team to NCAA titles in 1979 and 1980.
'The last team I coached to a national championship, people questioned my coaching,' she said. 'They questioned whether they were my kids (having inherited most of them when she took the job). Well, these are my kids, and they worked very hard.
'I'm shocked with our rebounding advantage. Give Georgia credit for a good pressure defense, but it did give us avenues to the boards.
'The secret is recruiting kids who can rebound. It is just a matter of emphasis and concentration.'
Stanley was also a member of a national championship team as a player with Immaculata.
'Just getting to this point is a thrill,' she said. 'It never gets old. This isn't any more special to me, but it's special because of the people involved.
'I told them this week not to make this game any different than any others. I told them not to put any imaginary pressure on themselves.'
Instead, Claxton and Dixon simply put pressure on Georgia.
