by Malcolm Butler

RUSTON – It's been more than three decades since Louisiana Tech won the first NCAA women's basketball championship with a 76-62 victory over Cheyney State on March 28, 1982 in Norfolk, Va.

At halftime of Louisiana Tech's Conference USA contest against Old Dominion Saturday (tipoff set for 1 p.m.), the players and coaches from that 1982 Lady Techster team will receive their national championship rings during a Legends Day ceremony at the Thomas Assembly Center.

So 35 years after winning that national title game, the players and coaches will finally slip a ring on their finger. Why now and not way back then?

No one knows or can remember. Not Sonja Hogg. Not Leon Barmore. Not any of the players.

"No, that's a long time for me to remember," said Barmore. "I remember a lot of things to be honest with you, but it never crossed my mind that we didn't get rings. I do not remember why."

"I don't have any idea other than the fact it was the first championship in the NCAA and maybe they hadn't worked it all out," said former LA Tech Kodak All-American Angela "A.T." (Turner) Johnson. "I think we ended up getting a necklace watch."

"We got a watch, and I think everybody thought that was it," said Debbie (Primeaux) Williamson. "I guess at the time that was a big deal that we had a watch with an NCAA logo on it. Why the NCAA didn't do (rings back then) I don't know. I just remember thinking maybe it's coming later."

Well, Primeaux was right, 35 years later to be exact. So does the delay make the significance of the rings more or less meaningful?

"I think God has a unique way of designing things and maybe we would have lost it by now," said Primeaux. "Maybe something would have happened to it when we were younger and didn't understand how big of a deal it was. I'm happy about it for sure. I think it actually means more now.

"I think it's going to be very emotional. After you live, you know time passes, you realize the things we had, just how special it was."

"Receiving the ring now is an exclamation point to the championship experience," said Ann (Pendergrass) Harris. "We appreciate that the NCAA is finally awarding us as players. It is like getting to celebrate that time all over again and that is just so much fun."

"A woman always likes a good piece of jewelry," said Hogg, who was known for her flare and style on the Lady Techster sideline. "It's good that the (NCAA and Louisiana Tech) are doing things right and going back and remembering the ones who got it rolling in the early years. It's special to receive these, better late than never."

So how did the NCAA get involved in Saturday's event?

When UConn defeated Washington in last year's championship game, it marked the 35th anniversary of the first NCAA title. As part of the anniversary, the NCAA reached out to Louisiana Tech and wanted to do something special for the first title team.

Those talks culminated with the decision for the NCAA to design and purchase national championship rings for the coaches and players. They not only wanted to provide the rings, but they also wanted to make sure that the presentation was well-documented and that the 1981-82 LA Tech team knew it had a special place in women's basketball lore.

"Louisiana Tech made history by winning the first NCAA national championship in 1982 and the association was thrilled to be able to provide the rings to honor this accomplishment during the 2016 Women's Final Four in Indianapolis," said Anucha Browne, NCAA vice president, women's basketball championships, who will be in attendance for the ring presentation Saturday.

"Congratulations to Coach Sonja Hogg and the '82 Lady Techsters for setting the bar high for all other teams to follow. We are in our 36th year as an NCAA championship, and we wouldn't be where we are today without the storied history of successful programs like Louisiana Tech."

The 1981-82 Lady Techsters did set the bar high.

Coming off the program's first national championship with a victory over Tennessee in the 1981 AIAW title game, expectations were high for the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters the following season.

Extremely high.

"People don't understand pressure until you go undefeated in 1980-81 for the AIAW championship, go undefeated 34-0 in that one, and then not lose a player off that team, and then sign the most outstanding shooting guard in the country in Pam Gant," said Hogg. "So when people talk about pressure, Leon and I knew about pressure going into that 1981-82 season, the first one (under NCAA leadership). We went 35-1 and set the winning streak at 54 games, breaking Margaret Wade's record at Delta State. I tell you that was an unbelievable year."

Tech's roster that season was full of talent, both coaching and playing.

The staff consisted of Hogg as head coach, Barmore as associate head coach, assistant Gary Blair and graduate assistant Sue Donohoe. Hogg, Barmore and Blair all coached separate teams to NCAA national titles as head coaches and are all enshrined in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville.

Donohoe made a name for herself at the NCAA offices in Indianapolis, where she served as vice president of Division I women's basketball for the NCAA and oversaw the sport and championship for 12 years. She will receive the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award and be enshrined into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame on June 24 in Natchitoches.

And the names on the 1981-82 roster ring like a who's who of Lady Techster lore: Turner (Saline), Julie Wilkerson (Tioga), Jennifer White (Loretto, Tenn.), Kim Mulkey (Hammond), Pam Gant (Joliet, Ill.), Sandra Felton (Cordele, Ga.), Lori Scott (Jackson, Miss.), Pendergrass (Ruston), Primeaux (Bell City), Pam Kelly (Columbia), Debra Rodman (Dallas), Tia Sossamon (Raymore, Mo.), Janice Lawrence (Lucedale, Miss.) and Rita Rust (Shreveport).

Great coaches that had great players; it was a formula for tremendous success.

"I think we were focused and we knew our role," said Turner. "We played well together, plus coach Barmore was a great motivator. All of us were like-minded, and we wanted to be the best. I think that is what helped us to succeed."

The Lady Techsters spent the entire season ranked No. 1 in the country, with 15 wins coming against Top 25 teams and seven against Top 10 teams. They won 35 games by an average margin of 33 points; only two wins came by single digits.

"We were awfully talented and we were winning, but I just think they worked hard," said Barmore. "Everybody says let's have fun, and I guess fun is part of it, but the truth is I pushed them and they all responded. It was a joy to coach them because really and truly, very few teams that you have as a coach put team first. And I don't think there's any team that we had through those years that put the team first more than that one."

"We embraced the philosophy of team, that there is no ‘I' in team," said Pendergrass. "The relationships among the players were key to us playing unselfishly so we could win and be so successful during those four years. I remember Coach Barmore telling us ‘Great things are accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.'

"Under Coach Barmore and Mrs. Hogg's leadership, they got us to buy into that philosophy. Outstanding players came together and played their role on the team and the end results were national championships. It was incredible."

Today Primeaux is the NCAA officiating coordinator for the Big East and the ACC. She has a front row seat to the modern day version of the 1980 Louisiana Tech teams – the Connecticut Huskies.

"Having UConn in my league, I get to go to watch their games and practices," said Primeaux. "(UConn coach) Geno (Auriemma) even asked me one time during a practice, ‘Have you ever seen anything like this?' And I said, ‘Yes I did, 35 years ago we were doing the same kinds of things at Louisiana Tech.' It's true.

"So to have it come up again in the form of a ring ceremony is just humbling, and it's perfect timing honestly. It's not the timing we would have chosen, but I think the timing is great."

Saturday's ceremony and game are full of interesting coincidence.

The 1981-82 Lady Techster team set the women's collegiate basketball record for consecutive victories at 54; the streak spanned the 1980-81 season (when Tech went 34-0 on its way to an AIAW national title) and the first 20 games of the 1981-82 season.

Who snapped that streak?

The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs, now a Conference USA member and the Lady Techsters opponent Saturday. The Lady Monarchs defeated the Lady Techsters 61-58 at the Old Dominion Fieldhouse on Jan. 29, 1982 – what would be the only blemish on LA Tech's record during a span of two seasons.

The loss served as motivation. Tech dominated the next 15 games; the closest victory was the 14-point win in the NCAA title game against Cheyney State at Norfolk Scope.

Another bit of coincidence will most likely take place Saturday when UConn plays at SMU in Dallas. Tipoff for the game is set for 2 p.m. The Huskies are looking to break their own NCAA record for consecutive wins, the same record set by the 1981-82 Lady Techsters.

However, no one in Ruston will be worried about Geno or the Huskies on Saturday or really anything outside of the confines of the Thomas Assembly Center. They will be focused on old times and good friends.

"It is hard to put into words how special it will be to see my teammates," said Pendergrass. "We are living across the U.S., so most of us have not seen each other in more than 20 years. I am sure there will be lots of smiles and lots of laughter as we share stories of different memories from our time together.

"There will probably be some tears too as we grieve the loss of Tia (Sossamon), the death of several of our parents and very loyal fans from that time. I am a better person today for having been a part of this team."

"I was very excited, No. 1 to finally be getting a ring, but most of all about seeing everybody," said Turner. "Some of us haven't seen each other in a while, especially not together like this. It will be great to see everybody and reminisce about old times."

"Me personally, I'm very excited about it and I think they are to," said Barmore. "I think we all are looking forward to this because we realize as we get older it may never happen again. It's something that will be very special for those who come back, and I'm certainly one of those. I'm looking forward to it myself without question."

"It's like I told my teammates, there won't be a next time for this event," said Primeaux. "I'm not saying we won't have get-togethers. My concern is for the people who followed us. The ones that are still alive that are healthy enough to come back and see the team that they supported so well. I think it's as significant for them as it is for us to see each other. For us to be at Thomas Assembly Center with the people that followed us and really supported that program the way they did, the ones that are left, I think is the most significant piece of this."

Many of those same Lady Techster fans who saw the team capture the first ever NCAA title in late March of 1982 will be able to see the players and coaches receive their rings almost 35 years later.

"It kind of brings back those feelings and emotions from winning the championship and having a memento to show family and friends," said Turner. "My husband was saying we can buy a shadow box to put it in. I said, ‘No, I'm wearing my ring for at least six months.' He started laughing. I've waited too long for this so I am going to wear it and show it off."

Three and a half decades later, the wait is over for Turner and her national championship teammates.