PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- At the final horn of UND's national championship game in Grand Forks in 1997, Jaime Pudenz ran past her teammates' celebratory dogpile and directly to the bleachers to give her sister, Tracey Pudenz, a big hug and an earfull of "this one's for you.'
It was the feel-good moment of the tournament, the freshman dedicating the title to her graduated oldest sister, who had been a part of more than 100 wins at UND, but none of them in a national tournament.
Jaime also was part of the Kleenex moment of the 1998 championship game Saturday, when UND claimed its second straight national crown.
Sister Tiffany Pudenz, one of two UND seniors, had fouled out with 1 minute, 26 seconds remaining and UND ahead 87-74. As she was sprawled on the court and the whistle blew, Tiffany looked up to the referee and pleaded, "Please say it's not on me."
When given the bad news, a tear came to Tiffany's eye immediately. Jaime rushed over, put her arm around across her sister's back and ushered her to the bench.
Jaime shared the conversation and her thoughts about that private moment later.
"I wanted to walk off the court with Tiffany for the last time," Jaime said. "It has been so much fun to be with her these last two years. I think it hit her that she wasn't going to be on the court as a UND player again.
"She talked on her way to the bench about it being her last game. I told her that she should be happy to out a winner, to go out as a national champion."
Going out a national champion is great. Even greater is going out a national champion by playing the quality of basketball that the Sioux did Saturday in its 92-76 win over Emporia (Kan.) State. Only one word describes the way they played in the 92-76 win over Emporia (Kan.) State:
Wow.
Read it frontwards or backwards. The message is the same.
And that strong play is what will make this championship so special over time for the Sioux. They played a team that was undefeated, with no opponent coming closer than eight points, and whipped 'em.
"We were shell-shocked," Emporia coach Cindy Stein admitted.
The shells came from everywhere -- outside, inside, on defense, on offense, running the floor, muscling on the boards, working the chalkboard.
None of the three opponents in the national tournament reached 40 percent field goal shooting against UND, Emporia bottoming out at 33.8 percent. That was because of defensive heat on the perimeter shooters and Jenny Crouse's presence inside. The 6-foot-3 center blocked nine shots against Emporia and 22 for the tournament.
Offensively, there was a mix that would have made Betty Crocker proud. Mandy Arndtson (23 points) scored in every conceivable fashion while Crouse added 17 points despite attracting a convention inside. Tiffany Pudenz contributed 18 points while supplying the 3-point shooting, penetration, perimeter defensive disruption and hard-boiled toughness that will be so missed next year. Then there was Jaime Pudenz -- 16 points, 8 assists and 0 seconds when she wasn't in control.
Yes, the victory was complete against a talened, high-flying opponent. The Sioux did everything right -- and it showed on the scoreboard.
"For 40 minutes, offensively and defensively, it was our best basketball of the year," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "And we needed it.
"That is what championship teams are supposed to do. We played championship basketball.
"We were challenged. We had a target on our backs. We rose to the occasion."
No, the Sioux rose above the occasion.
And that's why this national crown will be special. It's impossible to be as special as the first time. But here the Sioux won on a neutral court, against a top-quality opponent, with the defending champion burden -- and won big.
"The pressure took some of the fun out of the game," senior Elisha Kabanuk said. "Last year, we had much more celebration. We were the Cinderella team last year.
"I was numb for a week last year. But, because I'm going out No. 1 as a senior, I think I'll be numb for a month this time."
The Sioux will have deserved feeling like they've been shot full of novocaine. It's been a trying run.
Cinderella. No? But the queens of the ball? Yes.
Again, to reiterate:
Wow.