Rutgers to Play Hartford in NCAA Tournament First Round
Mar 13 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, NJ – The No. 9/10 Rutgers women’s basketball team (25-6, 14-2 BIG EAST) has received a No. 3 seed in the Philadelphia Region for the 2005 NCAA Tournament and will take on 14th-seeded Hartford (22-8, 13-5 America East Conference) in the first round Sunday, March 20, at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT.
In the other first-round game of the Philadelphia Region in Storrs, CT, sixth-seeded Temple (27-3, 16-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) will face 11th-seeded Louisiana Tech (20-9, 14-4 Western Athletic Conference). The winners of these two first-round games will face each other in the second round Tuesday, March 22. Game times and television coverage will be announced later this week.
This marks RU’s third consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament, and seventh berth in the last eight years. This marks the third time Rutgers has been a No. 3 seed. The Scarlet Knights also garnered a No. 3 seed in 1988 and 1999.
Rutgers is 25-6 overall and 14-2 in the BIG EAST this season following a 67-51 loss to No. 13/11 Connecticut (23-7, 13-3 BIG EAST) in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game March 8 in Hartford, CT. The Scarlet Knights were ranked ninth by the Associated Press (March 7) and 10th by WBCA/ESPN/USA Today (March 13) in the national polls. Rutgers has won 20 of its last 24 games, including 10 of the last 11. The Scarlet Knights won their first-ever outright BIG EAST regular-season title this season and finished as the runners-up at the BIG EAST Tournament.
The Scarlet Knights are led by senior 5-9 guard Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL), a first-team all-BIG EAST selection who is averaging 13.1 points per game. Freshman 5-8 guard Matee Ajavon (Newark, NJ), the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and a second-team all-conference pick, is adding 12.8 points and a team-best 3.3 assists per game. Junior 6-2 forward Michelle Campbell (Princeton, NJ), the BIG EAST’s Most Improved Player and a third-team all-league selection, is contributing a team-high 5.8 rebounds to go along with her 11.6 tallies per contest. BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Chelsea Newton (Monroe, LA), a 5-11 senior guard, is contributing 9.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
The Scarlet Knights returned eight letterwinners and three starters from a 2003-2004 team that posted a 21-12 overall record and a 10-6 mark in BIG EAST Conference play. RU finished as the runner-up at the 2004 BIG EAST Championship and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Hartford earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament after edging Boston University 52-50 in the America East Championship on March 12. The Hawks finished second to Maine in the America East Conference regular-season standings.
Rutgers and Hartford each faced Connecticut and Rider this season. The Scarlet Knights won one of three meetings against Connecticut, earning a 76-62 victory at the RAC Feb. 13. Rutgers dropped a 67-51 decision to Connecticut in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game March 8 in Hartford, CT, and lost 57-44 to Connecticut in Hartford Feb. 3. Hartford dropped a 55-32 decision to UConn in its lone meeting with the Huskies. Rutgers defeated Rider 90-42 in its season opener Nov. 20, while Hartford earned a 57-46 victory against the Broncs Dec. 22.
Rutgers Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer
“Whatever we have left in us, we have to put it all out. This is a whole new season – it’s one and done now. Our schedule was so good this year that I would have been happy with any bracket we were in. We shouldn’t fear anyone because there is no style we haven’t faced.”
“The fact that we are headed to Storrs is nice because it’s a short bus trip and we’ll be able to spend the week at home getting the heavy amount of our preparation done. I want our team to be able to refocus and reenergize.”
“Our fans will be there [in Storrs], and that means a lot to us. Our kids have come to really appreciate the support our fans provide for us, so I’m happy that we’ll be able to look into the stands on Sunday and see a lot of red.”
Freshman Guard Matee Ajavon
“I’m very excited right now. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.”
On a possible match-up with Temple, a team RU lost to 71-60 Dec. 13, in the second round:
“I think that we’re a better team now than we were before, so it’s exciting to have the possibility. But, I’m sure that they’ve improved as well.”
“This is what we have worked for. It’s definitely a plus that we are in our region and that our fans will be able to see us.”
Senior Guard Cappie Pondexter
“Not everybody makes the field of 64. Just to have the opportunity to play again in the postseason is a great thing.”
“They’ve (fans) been great all year. Our fans have definitely been an added bonus to our success, and it would be great to have them (in Storrs).”
