On March 18, 1989, Elizabethtown College defeated California State University, Stanislaus by a 66-65 score to win the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship. The victory marked the program’s second NCAA title after winning the inaugural NCAA Championship in 1982.
Sue Kreider ’91 sinks the game-winning free throw in the final seconds of the 1989 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game.
The Final Four was held at Centre College in Danville, Ky., and the Blue Jays won their first match against Centre College in overtime with a score of 73-64.
In the title game, Etown was down six points when they entered the locker room at halftime, but battled back to tie the game, 65-65, in the final minute of the contest. With two seconds left, Sue Kreider ’91 was fouled. She stepped up to the line and made her first free-throw attempt to win the game for the Blue Jays.
Nancy Keene ’91 led all scorers with 23 points, going 5-of-8 from three-point range, while Kim Cahill ’89 had 14 points and Lori Lobb ’89 scored 11.
The 1989 team was cemented in Blue Jays athletic history when they were inducted into the Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2001, Keene and Cahill were also inducted.
Throughout Elizabethtown College’s 125th anniversary year, follow along as we share 125 compelling stories about the College’s defining moments, alumni stories, and fun facts since our founding in 1899 at etown.edu.