“The men’s team draws only half as many fans as the women, who regularly sell out the school 4,500- seat field house.” We began to travel more. I think women’s basketball has come of age this week.” A lot of people began to follow the game, a lot of fans. Margaret Wade is in tears.” “And I know that we have seen demonstrated here some of the finest basketball skills in the country.” “I agree, and it’s exciting. Three-time defending champion Immaculata has been upset tonight 90 to 81. And Delta State University’s Lady Statesmen have done it. ![]() Incredible basketball tonight.” A small town came, and we won the game. I said, “Oh, yeah?” We had to really battle. Louisiana tosses it up.” Debbie brought the ball down the court, passed it to Wanda or Ramona, and they would pass it to me. And it said, “Give ‘Em hell.” “Here comes the tap. You’ve had some -” Most of the time, she wouldn’t say anything. And Margaret, I know your team is very tired. “Margaret Wade, a fine person and an excellent coach. “Very noisy group.” It was so loud in there that you couldn’t hardly hear anything. They had a lot of nuns - because that was a Catholic school - Nuns that would cheer for them. So we had said we were going to win three national championships, too. They had won three national championships. The name of the team to beat was Immaculata. At the time Larry Bird, Magic, they were N.C.A.A. And we told each other, if we get this far next year, we’re going to go on to the national tournament. I got to the semifinals, the game that determines whether you go on to Nationals. When I got the ball I knew my job was to score. But once we got on that floor, you couldn’t tell. I wasn’t really close to anybody on the team. All that I have to do is put them together as a team.” “Being the only Black on this team, I had to adjust to that. But they didn’t have a women’s basketball program, so I changed my mind.” “They can play ball when they get here. I had made up my mind that I was going to go to Alcorn. that Delta State was starting a basketball program for women.” Equality. Whatever you provide for the men, you have to provide for the women, also. My whole attitude changed about my height. Their whole team had not scored 40 points. I remember one day, I had scored 40 points. I didn’t develop a shot, it just came natural. I had to learn how to play defense, offense, pivot. I became a member of the team, but I didn’t know how to play. They would tease me: “Long, and tall, and that’s all” - that I was tall and I couldn’t do anything else. ![]() I was taller than everyone else in my class, 6’3’. And I wanted to shoot that ball just like they were shooting. I wanted to grow up and have my own family. I would stay up long past our bedtime and put a quilt over the TV and over my head, so I can watch Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, my favorite. A lot of the kids would gather at our house to play ball because they didn’t have a goal, and we did. I know we went without, but we didn’t want for anything. So we would pick cotton when we came home from school. Next to the last, Lusia Mae Harris, Lucy. “How would you know?” Because I’m Lusia! Growing up in a pretty much all-Black community, everybody knew each other. She’s retired now and living a happy life. As a matter of fact, the New Orleans Jazz drafted Lusia, the first woman to be officially drafted by a men’s basketball team. What I know about Lusia? Born in a small town in South Mississippi in 1955, became a great female basketball player, at one time was the greatest in the United States. Transcript The Queen of Basketball Lusia Harris led her team to three national championships, scored the first basket in women’s Olympic history and was officially drafted by the New Orleans Jazz in 1977.
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