By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Wilmington College community embraced its women's basketball team Sunday afternoon, as hundreds of well-wishers and fans lined the streets to welcome home the newest Division III national champions.

A day after upsetting formerly unbeaten Bowdoin College 59-53 in Virginia Beach, Va.., the Lady Quakers (27-6) brought back a first-place trophy and the school's first NCAA team title.

"That's when it set in, coming home," said junior forward Siobhan Zerilla, a Mercy graduate. "You don't realize how big it is until you see how it affects the rest of the community and school."

It was the Lady Quakers' third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but the first time the program advanced to the championship game. Last season, coach Jerry Scheveguided the team to the Sweet Sixteen; the year before, the Elite Eight.

The title-winning team will go down in Scheve's book as his best based on sheer achievements. Led by senior All-American Tara Rausch, the Lady Quakers won a third straight Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title.

But a week before the conference tournament, Scheve wondered if the team could maintain its consistency. In the last week of the regular season, Otterbein College thumped Wilmington 79-69. The Lady Quakers, once in the running for the OAC regular season title, tied for third.

"At that point, our prospects for a postseason didn't look so bright," Scheve said.

The team had six losses entering the conference tournament, more than the past two years combined. Within five days the Lady Quakers beat Muskingum, Capital and Otterbein. Once in the NCAA Tournament, they bounced Albion, Franklin (Ind.), Thomas More, Puget Sound, Rochester and Bowdoin by an average of seven points.

It wasn't as easy as it looked, Zerilla said. Before the tournament, Wilmington was 0-4 in games decided by five or fewer points.

"I think we trailed every game in the tournament, especially the last four games," she said. "We always seemed to come from behind to win."

Wilmington was down by as many as nine points in the title game. Though they only shot 29 percent from the field, stellar rebounding - 51 to Bowdoin's 38 - and tough defense made the difference. "We've had to learn without shooting the ball," Scheve said.

Scheve didn't have much of a chance to congratulate his team after the win. He was doused with water upon his entrance to the locker room and "was in so much shock" Zerilla said, to expound before the post-game press conferences.

The team awoke at 4 a.m. Saturday to catch a flight back to Cincinnati. They received a police escort back to town and were lauded by their loyal fans.

After all the excitement, he was just trying to catch up on his sleep Sunday evening.

Zerilla, among other teammates, was still enjoying the win.

"It really is amazing," she said.

---

E-mail srussell@enquirer.com