April 4, 2008

SAN ANTONIO - Joyce Ekworomadu stepped on the floor after being introduced to the crowd as hip-hop pulsated through the arena speakers. Cheers drown out the music as Ekworomadu high-fived the other players and the contest was underway.

It felt so much like a home game for Ekworomadu, that the 20th annual NCAA Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contest should have been held at Strahan Coliseum.

Once Ekworomadu toed the 3-point line and stood next to the rank, the atmosphere in the Bill Greehey Arena was titillating. The Texas State senior guard danced for the cameras before the beginning buzzer and let all the nerves out.

Ekworomadu knocked down four of the five shots on both the first and second racks, including the money ball, each time. The third rack wasn't kind to her as she missed every shot but the money ball, but Ekworomadu made four of her last 10 shots to finish the first round with 17 points, and advance her to the semifinal round.

"Knowing that Texas State was all there cheering for me, it took some of the jitters away," Ekworomadu said. "But the second round, that's where the jitters came back."

The 5-foot-9 guard struggled in the semi-finals though, missing eight of her first 10 shots. Ekworomadu found her stroke midway through the third rack and drained eight consecutive baskets, including the entire fourth rack.

Ekworomadu finished the semifinals round with 13 points, but needed 17 points to advance to the championship round, She left the floor to thunderous cheers and it wasn't her last moment on national television during the night.

During the slam dunk contest, Georgetown forward Patrick Ewing, Jr., asked Ekworomadu to assist his attempt. Women's basketball never uses the alley-oop, so Ekworomadu's pass to Ewing was less than desired.

"He had told me before (that he wanted me to do something), but we never really practiced the toss," Ekworomadu said. "The first one was a little bit high and the second one, I think, might have been a little bit low. He still able to get the dunk off."

"It didn't work out the way we wanted it to," Ewing said. "But, we were out there to have fun." Ewing didn't advance to the final and Ekworomadu went back to being a spectator. She posed for pictures with the fellow contestants, soaking in the night.

Ekworomadu's college career is now over and she is hopeful for an invitation to the WNBA Draft Camp.

"It's been just a fun time," Ekworomadu said. "We're all just out there having fun. If you win, you win. If you lose, you still had a good time. I'm going to remember this for a while."

This story was reprinted with the permission of the San Marcos Daily Record.