December 17, 1974 ... The Beginning ... In its first-ever basketball contest, Rutgers defeats Princeton 76-60 in New Brunswick
August, 1976 ... One Small Step for Women ... Theresa Shank Grentz becomes the first full-time women’s basketball coach in the nation when she is hired by Rutgers
March 15, 1980 ... Century Mark ... Rutgers earns its 100th victory, a 70-54 win at Providence.
March, 1981 ... All-American ... After averaging 18.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during the 1980-81 season, Kris Kirchner is named a Kodak All-American, the first in Lady Knight women’s basketball history.
March 28, 1982 ... National Champs!! ... Tournament MVP Patty Coyle scores 30 points and Terry Dorner adds 25 as Rutgers wins the AIAW National Tournament title with a thrilling 83-77 victory against Texas at the Palestra.
March, 1982 ... Olkowski Honored ... June Olkowski, who averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game during her career, becomes only the second Rutgers player to be named a Kodak All-American. She later becomes the first RU women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired (Jan. 8, 1988).
November 26, 1983 ... A-1(0) ... Rutgers wins its first-ever Atlantic 10 Conference game, a 79-44 triumph against visiting Duquesne.
January 2, 1985 ... 200 Wins ... Led by freshman Sue Wicks’ 23 points, Rutgers captures the 200th victory in the program’s history, a 66-63 decision against Missouri.
March 15, 1986 ... NCAA ... Following a 27-3 regular season, including a perfect 13-0 mark at home, RU garners its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth and defeats Villanova 85-58 at the RAC.
March, 1986 ... Another All-American ... Following her sophomore season, Sue Wicks becomes the third Rutgers player to be named to the Kodak All-America Team and is the only underclassman on the 10-member squad. It is the first of three-straight Kodak All-America honors for Wicks.
March 7, 1987 ... A-10 Champions ... With a 93-48 win against Saint Joseph’s, the Lady Knights add an Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship to their 30-win season and No. 5 national ranking.
March, 1988 ... Back-to-Back ... Rutgers repeats as the A-10 Tournament Champion and caps off its third-consecutive undefeated home season en route to a 27-5 record and an NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance.
April, 1988 ... Wicks is Best ... Three-time All-American Sue Wicks, who scored a whopping 2,655 career points “On the Banks,” is named the Naismith Player of the Year as the nation’s best female basketball player.
December 14, 1988 ... 300 Wins ... Rutgers earns its 300th program victory with a 92-49 win against Seton Hall.
March, 1989 ... Team of the Year, Again! ... Following a 24-7 season that included a fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA’s, Rutgers is named the ECAC Team of the Year for the fourth straight season.
February 18, 1993 ... 400 Wins ... In the midst of an eight-game winning streak, Rutgers picks up the 400th win in the program’s history, a 94-82 victory against St. Bonaventure at the RAC.
March 13, 1993 ... Return to Victory Lane ... Regina Kalucki’s 20 points help break open a halftime deadlock and bring the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament title back to “the Banks” with a 59-51 victory against Saint Joseph’s in Washington, D.C.
January 17, 1994 ... Upset of the Decade ... Caroline DeRoose’s 35 points lead Rutgers to an 87-77 victory against No. 1 Tennessee. It marks the first and only time that an unranked team has defeated the top-ranked team in the nation.
March 13, 1994 ... Repeat ... Rutgers comes back from a three-point halftime deficit to repeat as the Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion with a 79-71 victory against George Washington in Philadelphia.
March 16, 1994 ... Nine in a Row ... Rutgers advances to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight year and posts its ninth consecutive 20-win season.
July 14, 1995 ... A New Era Begins ... C. Vivian Stringer is hired as the fourth women’s basketball head coach in Scarlet Knight history.
November 25, 1995 ... Upset! ... In C. Vivian Stringer’s first game as Rutgers’ coach, the Scarlet Knights upset No. 7 Penn State 69-67 at the RAC.
January 2, 1996 ... Changing Leagues ... Rutgers earns its first BIG EAST victory, a 71-64 decision against Providence at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
February 18, 1996 ... Sellout! ... A crowd of 7,793 packs the RAC to watch Connecticut take on the Scarlet Knights, the first advance sellout ever of a Rutgers women’s basketball game.
April 28, 1997 ... New York Minute ... Sue Wicks is selected in the first round of the first-ever WNBA Draft by the New York Liberty, becoming the first Rutgers player to participate in the fledgling league.
February 10, 1998 ... Upset City ... Piscataway is upset city as Rutgers knocks off No. 2 Connecticut 74-70 in front of 4,108 fans at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Rutgers becomes the first program to be unranked and defeat both a No. 1 and a No. 2 team (defeated No. 1 Tennessee 87-77).
March 1, 1998 ... Play it at the RAC ... For the first time, the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament is played at Rutgers’ Louis Brown Athletic Center in front of record crowds. Rutgers draws 5,323 fans for the championship game between RU and Connecticut. It is the ninth-largest crowd to witness a BIG EAST Tournament game and the fifth-largest crowd for a women’s basketball game at Rutgers at that time. The semifinal- and quarterfinal-round crowds also rank in the top-25 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament history.
March 21, 1998 ... Sixteen Candles ... The Scarlet Knights come of age as they advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament after entering as the No. 5 seed in the Mideast Region. RU defeats Oregon (79-76) and Iowa State (62-61) before falling to the eventual national champion, No. 1 Tennessee, 92-60 in Nashville, Tenn.
April 26, 1998 ... Take 23 Off the List ... Twenty-three is forever removed from the list of available numbers at Rutgers when Sue Wicks becomes the second player in RU women’s basketball history to have her jersey retired.
December 22, 1998 ... 500 Wins ... The 500th win in Rutgers basketball history comes as an 81-61 defeat of Maryland in College Park.
January 3, 1999 ... History at the Garden ... The Scarlet Knights are part of the first women’s college basketball game at Madison Square Garden in 18 years as they take on No. 1 Tennessee in front of 15,735 fans.
March 22, 1999 ... Eight is Great ... Rutgers advances to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament after receiving the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region. The Scarlet Knights win three games in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their history, including a record-setting, upset victory against No. 2 seed Texas Tech. Rutgers’ defense, ranked third in the nation, allows the Lady Raiders just 11 points in the first half to set an all-time NCAA Tournament regional record. For the second year in a row, the Scarlet Knights bow out of the tournament to the eventual national champion, this time Purdue. Shawnetta Stewart and Tasha Pointer are named to the All-Midwest Region Team.
December 18, 1999 ... 600 Wins ... Head coach C. Vivian Stringer becomes the third women’s basketball coach to earn 600 career wins when the Scarlet Knights defeat Texas 68-64 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Significantly, the win occurs against Texas head coach Jody Conradt, who along with Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, are the only other members of the exclusive club.
February 12, 2000 ... Attendance Record Broken ... The Scarlet Knights set a Louis Brown Athletic Center attendance record when a sellout crowd of 8,579 shows up to watch Rutgers take on the nation’s top-ranked team, the Connecticut Huskies.
March 27, 2000 ... And Then There Were Four ... C. Vivian Stringer becomes the first coach, men’s or women’s, to take three different programs to the Final Four as Rutgers advances to its first-ever NCAA Tournament national semifinals with a stunning 59-51 win against top-seeded Georgia in the West Region final. Shawnetta Stewart is named the West Region MVP while Tasha Pointer and Tammy Sutton-Brown earn All-Tournament Team honors. Rutgers faces No. 2 Tennessee in the national semifinals four days later and the dream season comes to an end with a 64-54 loss in nearby Philadelphia.
April 25, 2000 ... Two More for the League ... Shawnetta Stewart (Orlando Miracle) and Usha Gilmore (Indiana Fever) both are third-round selections in the 2000 WNBA Draft.
February 17, 2001 ... Undefeated No More ... Rutgers stuns top-ranked Notre Dame by handing the Irish their first loss of the season, a 54-53 decision at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The crowd of 8,587 establishes a new RU record and the game is the second advance sellout in Scarlet Knight women’s basketball history.
April 20, 2001 ... Creating A Habit ... For the second consecutive year, two Rutgers players are selected in the WNBA Draft -- Tammy Sutton-Brown (second round, Charlotte Sting) and Tasha Pointer (fourth round, Portland Fire).
June 9, 2001 ... Hall of Famers ... Current head coach C. Vivian Stringer and former Rutgers mentor Theresa Grentz are both part of the 2001 induction class into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn.
April 19, 2002 ... That Makes Five ... Davalyn Cunningham becomes the fifth member of the 2000 Final Four team to be selected in the WNBA?Draft when she is taken in the second round (23rd overall) by the Orlando Miracle.
March 24, 2003 ... About Face ... Rutgers pulls off the most dramatic turnaround in Division I, improving from a 9-20 record in 2001-2002 to a 21-8 mark and a trip to the NCAA Tournament’s second round in 2002-2003.
Nov. 14, 2003 ... 600 Wins ... Rutgers records its 600th victory, a 58-40 win against Saint Peter’s in the first round of the Women’s Preseason NIT in Piscataway.
December 8, 2004 ... 700 Victories ... C. Vivian Stringer becomes the fourth women’s Division I coach to earn 700 career victories with a 68-46 win against Princeton in Piscataway.
January 5, 2005 ... Trifecta ... Rutgers defeats No. 1/1 LSU 51-49 in overtime at the RAC, completing an eight-day span that saw the Scarlet Knights defeat three top-10 teams (68-51 vs. No. 8/8 Tennessee, Dec. 29, 51-47, at No. 4/3 Texas Jan. 2).
January 26, 2005 ... Moving On Up ... C. Vivian Stringer moves into third place on the Division I victories list (709) with a 71-60 win at No. 14/13 Boston?College.
February 13, 2005 ... Sold Out ... RU records its fifth advance sellout as 8,014 fans see the No. 11/11 Scarlet Knights defeat No. 10/10 Connecticut 76-62.
March 1, 2005 ... Outright Champions ... Rutgers (14-2) secures its first outright BIG EAST Conference regular-season title with a 51-39 win at Villanova.
March 27, 2005 ... Elite Status ... The Scarlet Knights advance to their first Elite Eight in five years with a 64-58 victory against No. 8/7 Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen. Cappie Pondexter, the Most Outstanding Player of the Philadelphia Region, leads the entire NCAA Tournament field with her 24.0 points per game.
April 16, 2005 ... Pair of Picks ... Chelsea Newton (second round, Sacramento Monarchs) and Rebecca Richman (third round, New York Liberty) are selected in the 2005 WNBA Draft. Newton went on to start every game for the 2005 WNBA champions, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
February 27, 2006 ... BIG-Time Perfection ... Rutgers overcomes an 18-point deficit to defeat No. 7/6 Connecticut 48-42 at the RAC, putting the final exclamation point on a perfect 16-0 BIG EAST record and winning its second straight outright league regular-season crown. The game was the sixth advance sellout for RU.
April 5, 2006 ... Cappie’s Dream a REALITY ... Cappie Pondexter realizes her dream when she is selected second overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2006 WNBA Draft. Her impact on the league is immediate, ranking among the league’s scoring leaders and earning a spot on the 2006 WNBA All-Star Team.
March 6, 2007... BIG EAST Champs ... The No. 2 seeded Scarlet Knights won their first-ever BIG EAST Championship with a 55-47 victory over top-seeded Connecticut in Hartford. Facing the fifth-highest scoring team in the nation, Rutgers used its stifling defense to control the tempo of the game and limit UConn to its lowest point total all season. The No. 19/21 ranked Scarlet Knights gave head coach C. Vivian Stringer her first and the school’s first BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Championship crown, while handing the No. 2/3 ranked Huskies just their third loss of the season. Junior Matee Ajavon was tabbed Most Valuable Player of the Championship.
March 24, 2007 ... #1 Duke Goes Down ... Rutgers pulled off a stunning come-from-behind win over Duke, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, in the Sweet Sixteen round. The Scarlet Knights, who lost to the Blue Devils by 40 points earlier in the season, overcame a 10-point deficit to pull off the 53-52 victory in the Greensboro Regional. Junior Essence Carson said after the win, “We kept saying, ‘Believe.’ No matter how much we were down by.” Matee Ajavon was named Most Valuable Player of the Regional and Kia Vaughn and Carson earned All-Regional accolades.
April 1, 2007 ... Final Four Again ... Juniors Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson combined for 31 points, and the stifling Rutgers’ defense held LSU to the lowest point total in Final Four history. The Scarlet Knights registered a 59-35 victory in the NCAA National Semifinal Game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The win was the Scarlet Knights’ eighth-consecutive and advanced them to the their first national championship game.
February 27, 2008 ... Exclusive Company ... Stringer becomes just the third women’s basketball coach and eighth coach in Division I to earn 800 career wins when the Scarlet Knights defeat DePaul 60-46 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
April 9, 2008 ... WNBA Bound ... Ajavon and Carson were the No. 5 and No. 7 WNBA selections, respectively, in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Ajavon was the fifth overall pick of the Houston Comets while Carson was tabbed seventh overall by the New York Liberty. They were the first two RU?players selected simultaneously in the WNBA draft. The duo had helped the Scarlet Knights compete in their second straight regional final eight days earlier.
April 9, 2009 ... Professional Career Begins ... Kia Vaughn was the fourth RU player drafted since 2006 when her name was called by the New York Liberty with the eighth overall selection in the 2009 WNBA Draft. Vaughn finished her Scarlet Knights career as the program’s all-time leader in games played (135) and second all-time in rebounds (1079) and blocked shots (279)
September 11, 2009 ... Enshrined in the Hall ... Stringer - the first coach, male or female, to take three different teams to the NCAA Final Four- is enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass. The coaching legend enters the Hall with NBA greats Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton and Jerry Sloan. Stringer closed her moving speech with the following words, “To all my basketball daughters, I love you and thank God for you. I thank all of you for the privilege you have given me to stand here and be a basketball coach here tonight.”
July 11, 2011 ... WNBA All-Star Game/Top-15 Players ... Cappie Pondexter made her fourth appearance in a WNBA All-Star Game. Pondexter saw her first start in the event after receiving 20,226 votes from fans. Essence Carson and Epiphanny Prince joined Pondexter on the Eastern Conference squad in their first All-Star appearance - giving the Scarlet Knights three WNBA All-Stars, second most of any other school at the midseason classic. During halftime Pondexter was named as one of the Top-15 players in WNBA history.
April. 16, 2012 ... The Dream Continues on to LA ... Khadijah Rushdan and April Sykes were both drafted to the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2012 WNBA Draft. The two each made their imprints on the Scarlet Knights record books before departing to the professional ranks. Rushdan stands as just the second player in program history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists in her career, while Sykes solidified a spot in the top-10 in three-point attempts and makes.
February 26, 2013 … 900 WINS... C. Vivian Stringer becomes the seventh Division I NCAA basketball coach – men’s or women’s – and fourth women’s basketball coach to reach the 900 victories mark.
April 5, 2014 ... WNIT Champions ... American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Tyler Scaife went coast-to-coast for the game-winning lay-up with two seconds remaining to lift the Rutgers women’s basketball to a 56-54 victory over UTEP and the 2014 WNIT Championship at a sold out Don Haskins Center. Scaife, who finished with 18 points, was named to the all-tournament team and sophomore forward Kahleah Copper was named the WNIT MVP after collecting 18 points and 12 rebounds.
July 1, 2014 ... WE R B1G ... Rutgers University joins the Big Ten Conference in all sports.
December. 4, 2014 ... RAC Record ... Senior forward Betnijah Laney put in an incredible performance against No. 6 UNC in RU’s first appearance in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Laney, who would pour in 20 doubles-doubles on the season, poured in 24 points and 24 rebounds. The 24 rebounds set a new RAC record - men or women - surpassing the previous record of 21 held by Sue Wicks set in 1987.
February 5, 2015 ... B1G MILESTONE ... Head coach C. Vivian Stringer becomes the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten women’s basketball following a 46-43 victory over No. 19/18 Nebraska at the RAC. The victory was Stringers’ 177th Big Ten conference win coming from her time at both Iowa and Rutgers.
April 16, 2015 ... Sky High For Laney ... Betnijah Laney becomes the 17th Scarlet Knight drafted into the WNBA as the Chicago Sky selected the Rutgers Big Ten Medal of Honor recpipient with the 17th overall pick in the second round.
February 4, 2016 ... #1 In Blocks ... Senior Rachel Hollivay becomes RU’s all-time career blocks leader surpassing the great Sue Wicks. Hollivay would end her career with 322 career rejections.
April 14, 2016 ... Twice As Nice ... Kahleah Copper and Rachel Hollivay were both were selected in the WNBA Draft becoming Rutgers’ 18th and 19th Scarlet Knights to be drafted into the league. It also marks the seventh time two or more Scarlet Knights were chosen in the WNBA draft. Copper was on hand at Mohegan Sun as the Mystics called her name live on national tv with the eighth overall pick by the Washington Mystics. Copper became the highest draft pick since Epiphanny Prince in 2010. Hollivay, meanwhile, was the first pick in the second round and 13th overall by the Atlanta Dream.
June 22, 2016 ... Top20@20... In celebration of the WNBA’s landmark 20th season, former Rutgers great Cappie Pondexter was named one of the 20 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history. Earlier in the season she become the seventh player in WNBA history to score more than 6,000 career points.
December 1, 2016 ... To The Rafters .. Cappie Pondexter’s No. 25 is raised to the RAC rafters as she becomes the third Rutgers women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired.
March 1, 2018 ... Climbing the Charts To No. 2 ... Redshirt senior Tyler Scaife returns for her final season "On The Banks" after open heart surgery and climbs to No. 2 on the all-time scoring leaders list with only All-American and Scarlet Knight great Sue Wicks ahead of her.
November 13, 2018 ... HERstory Created ... Head coach C. Vivian Stringer captured her 1,000th career victory in the Scarlet Knights' 73-44 win over Central Connecticut State. Stringer became the sixth women's head coach in NCAA history to join the elite 1,000 career victory club.
April 30, 2022 … Retirement … The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Head Coach, C. Vivian Stringer, leaves the game with 1,055 wins and countless lives improved through leadership, mentorship, and guidance.
May 23, 2022 … The Start Of A New Era … Coquese Washington Named Rutgers Head Women’s Basketball Coach.Three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year has 22 years of coaching experience.
December 4, 2022 … C. Vivian Stringer Day … Head coach C. Vivian Stringer enshrined on the court at Jersey Mike's Arena through a dedication ceremony.
Jan. 12, 2023 … History Made … Rutgers defeat Minnesota, 65-59, to clinch the program's 1,000th win. The Scarlet Knights became the 22nd Division I program to 1,000 wins and the third current Big Ten program to reach the milestone. The victory also marked Coach Washington's 100th Big Ten win.
March 1, 2023 … Kaylene Smikle is HER … In the first round of the Big Ten Tournament against Northwestern Kaylene Smikle became the all-time leading freshman scorer in program history. With a three to start off the second quarter against the Wildcats, hit a three to start off the second quarter, she broke the previous best of 536 achieved by Tyler Scaife. Tthe third rookie in program history to hit the 500-point milestone, she ended the 2023-24 campaign with 573 points.
January 5, 2024 … SELLOUT … The Rutgers women's basketball team announced its first advance sellout since 2006 against No. 4/3 Iowa. The contest marked the sixth advance sellout in program history and the first since joining the Big Ten.
January 21, 2024 … 50 Seasons … The Scarlet Knights hosted its alumni weekend, celebrating 50 seasons of Rutgers women's basketball. While welcoming alumni and fans back "On The Banks" to remember some of the program's best moments, the team also inducted its inaugural Knights of Honor class, recognizing players and teams that made significant contributions. The iconic 1982, 2000 and 2007 represented the historic first class.
March 7, 2024 … B1G History … In the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, Destiny Adams made history, setting the single game Big Ten Tournament record with 24 rebounds in the first round against Minnesota. She also added 31 points in the outing, marking a new RU Big Ten Tournament high previously set in 2020. In addititon, Adams become the first Scarlet Knight with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds since 2021.
RUTGERS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
2019: Rutgers returned to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid off a regular season that saw the Scarlet Knights capture its most Big Ten wins (13) and highest Big Ten Tournament seed (third) since joining the league. Returning to Storrs, Connecticut, the seventh-seeded Scarlet Knights took on No. 10 Buffalo, a team that boasted the nation's second leading scorer and had danced to the "Sweet 16" the year prior. Rutgers trailed by eight early in the second quarter, but rebounded to take a 43-41 edge on the Bulls at the half. The Scarlet Knights opened up the second half outscoring the Bulls 9-2 to lead by nine, 52-43, less than two minutes into the third quarter, however a strong fourth quarter by Buffalo thwarted RU's chance at advancing. Rutgers was led by the double-double effort of redshirt senior Stasha Carey with 20 points and 11 rebounds with redshirt sophomore Arella Guirantes posting 14 points and sophomore Tekia Mack adding in 10 points from off the bench. Rutgers finished the 2018-19 season at 22-10 overall.
2015: Coming off the 2014 WNIT Championship, the Scarlet Knights returned the entire roster from the championship run to return to the dance and reach the second round of the tournament. In its first season in the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights received an at-large bid as the No. 8 seed and facing a familiar foe in No. 9 seed and former Big East foe, in-state rival Seton Hall. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the second round for the first time since 2011 with the Pirates a 79-66 victory behind 21 points from both Kahleah Copper and Tyler Scaife along with Betnijah Laney’s 20th double-double of the season. RU’s tournament run ended in the second round as the Scarlet Knights fell to eventual national champion, UConn. Rutgers ended the year at 23-10 overall.
2012: Rutgers women’s basketball earned its 10th-straight tournament bid with its selection as the No. 6 seed in the Kingston Region of the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The Scarlet Knights faced No. 11 seed and host Gonzaga at McCarthey Arena in Spokane, Wash. Junior guard Erica Wheeler recorded a career-high 28 points, however the Scarlet Knights fell 86-73. Wheeler connected on six-of-14 from three-point range on the afternoon and added four assists and two steals. Senior guard Khadijah Rushdan tallied her seventh career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while junior forward Monique Oliver added 12 points and six rebounds. Rutgers ended its 2011-12 campaign with a 22-10 overall mark.
2011: Rutgers advanced to its second-straight BIG EAST Tournament Semifinal and made its ninth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights received a No. 7 seed in the Dallas Region and drew No. 10 Louisiana Tech in the opening round. Khadijah Rushdan (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Chelsey Lee (11 points, 11 rebounds) paced RU to a 76-51 victory, despite playing at Bossier City, La. Rushdan and Lee’s performance marked the first time since Jan. 12, 2008 that two players posted double-doubles in the same game for Rutgers. Despite April Sykes’ seventh 20-point game of the season, the Scarlet Knights bowed out of the tournament in the second round, losing to Texas A&M, the eventual National Champion, 70-48. The 2010-11 campaign marked the 31st 20-win season for C. Vivian Stringer and her 12th in the past 14 seasons.
2010: The Scarlet Knights used a strong push in the BIG EAST Championship to secure their eighth-straight and 21st overall NCAA Championship bid. RU earned a No. 9 seed (Sacramento Region) for the second time in program history. For the fourth time in the last six seasons, Rutgers faced off against a Big Ten squad in NCAA Tournament action - meeting up with No. 8 Iowa in Stanford, Calif. Stringer coached at Iowa prior to Rutgers, leaving in 1995 as the program’s all-time winningest coach (269 wins). The Scarlet Knights saw their season end versus the Hawkeyes, falling 70-63 - their first loss in the first round play since 2004.
2009: Rutgers received its 20th nod into the postseason dance, advancing to its fifth-straight Sweet Sixteen. The Scarlet Knights were seeded seventh, the lowest seeding since 2004 and only the third time under Stringer that the Scarlet Knights were lower than a No. 3 seed. RU hosted the first and second rounds at the RAC for the first time since 2001. The Scarlet Knights got 26 points from junior Epiphanny Prince en route to a 57-51 win over No. 10 VCU in the first round. Prince added 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Rutgers drew Auburn in the second round, the second seed in the tourney. The Knights used a balanced scoring attack and their stifling defense to stun the Lady Tigers, 80-52. Prince, again, worked her magic by tallying 27 points- 18 of those coming in the second half. Senior Heather Zurich and junior Brittany Ray each added 12 points in the victory, RU’s 21st of the year. The bid for a third-straight Elite Eight ended in Oklahoma City as Purdue halted Rutgers 67-61.
2008: Rutgers made its 19th showing in the NCAA Tournament, its fourth-straight Sweet Sixteen and second-consecutive Elite Eight showing. The Scarlet Knights earned the No. 2 seed, the third time in program history the squad earned the seeding. RU was sent to Des Moines for first round play. In the first round, the Knights had little problem with No. 15 Robert Morris. Kia Vaughn paced the team with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds. In the second round, RU took on Iowa State in its own backyard. Four players had double-figures, led by Vaughn’s 23 points. Next up a return trip to Greensboro, N.C. in the regional semifinals, RU bested George Washington in the team’s second meeting of the season. The 53-42 victory over the Colonials - with 25 points from senior Essence Carson - would vault RU to the third meeting of the year with conference foe Connecticut. Despite holding a double-digit lead, Rutgers was denied its second-consecutive Final Four berth. Matee Ajavon had 18 points in her final collegiate game and earned all-regional honors along with Carson and Epiphanny Prince.
2007: After winning its first BIG?EAST Conference tournament crown, Rutgers was tabbed the fourth seed in the Greensboro Region of the NCAA?Tournament. The Scarlet Knights traveled to East Lansing, matching and setting a number of NCAA?records in a 77-34 victory over East Carolina. They limited the Lady Pirates to the second-lowest field goal percentage all-time in an NCAA?contest (16.4 percent) and matched the lowest number of field goals allowed (10). In the second round, RU?defeated No. 5 seed Michigan State on its home floor by a 70-57 score. Kia Vaughn tallied 16 points in the triumph, 12 of those in the second half. The Scarlet Knights next traveled to Greensboro, N.C. to take on the top-seed in the tournament, Duke. Freshman Epiphanny Prince stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for the go-ahead score to lift RU to a thrilling 53-52 victory over Duke in the Greensboro Regional semifinals. The same Duke squad had beaten the Knights by 40 points early in the season. The scrappy defense continued to roll in NCAA competition, beating No. 3 seed Arizona State 64-45 for the regional title. Junior Matee Ajavon scored 20 points and earned Most Valuable Performer honors in the Region. Teammates Essence Carson and Kia Vaughn were named to the All-Greensboro Region Team. Rutgers became the lowest seeded team to reach the Final Four in three seasons with the win over the Sun Devils. In the National Semifinals, Rutgers - once again - used a stingy defense to move past LSU, 59-35 and advance to its first national title game. Tennessee would end the Scarlet Knights’ season, 59-46. RU was just the second team-ever to begin play at 2-4 to start a season and conclude it in the national final contest.
2006: Following a perfect 16-0 record in BIG?EAST Conference regular-season play, Rutgers was awarded the third seed in the Cleveland Region of the NCAA?Tournament. The Scarlet Knights made the short trip to nearby Trenton, surviving a hot shooting effort by 14th-seeded Dartmouth (63-58) in the first round, but bounced back in the second round, displaying one of their most complete efforts of the season in an 82-48 trouncing of 11th-seeded TCU to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Called by many the toughest region in the 25-year history of the NCAA Tournament, RU joined tourney top overall seed North Carolina, SEC Tournament champion?Tennessee and Purdue, the Big Ten runner-up, in Cleveland. The Scarlet Knights faced off against the Lady Vols, a team many experts believed was deserving of a top seed, in the regional semifinals, and the second-seeded Lady Vols knocked Rutgers out of the tournament for the second straight year, 76-69. All-American Cappie Pondexter ended her career “On the Banks” with 22 points against UT and was named to the All-Cleveland Region Team.
2005: After a second-straight runner-up finish at the BIG?EAST?Tournament, the Scarlet Knights were seeded third in the Philadelphia Region of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. RU easily handled 14th-seeded Hartford in the first round in Storrs, Conn., defeating the Hawks 62-37, earning a rematch with sixth-seeded Temple in the second round. Rutgers avenged a regular-season loss to the Owls, earning a 61-54 win and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on Temple’s homecourt. The Scarlet Knights would again avenge an earlier loss, handing second-seeded Ohio?State a 64-58 loss in the regional semifinals, but Rutgers could not duplicate a Dec. 29 win against Tennessee, losing to the top-seeded Lady?Vols 59-49 in a regional final game that saw UT shoot 22 more free throws (35-13) than the Scarlet Knights. Cappie Pondexter was named the MOP of the Philadelphia Regional after ranking first in scoring (24.0 ppg) and sixth in three-point shooting (.579, 11-19) in the entire NCAA?Tournament field. She was joined on the All-Region Team by freshman Matee Ajavon, who was third in steals (3.00 spg) and eighth in assists (4.50 apg) in the tournament.
2004: Following a runner-up finish at the 2004 BIG?EAST?Tournament, Rutgers received the seventh seed in the Midwest Region. The Scarlet Knights, able to suit up just eight scholarship players due to injuries, were forced to play on a lesser seed’s home court for the second consecutive season, traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn., to face the No. 10 Lady Mocs. A 38-7 differential in free throws was a major contributor to RU’s 74-69 first-round exit.
2003: The Scarlet Knights returned to the national stage after a one-year hiatus, earning the fourth seed in the Midwest Region. Instead of earning a pair of home games as in years past, Rutgers was forced to go on the road due to the NCAA’s use of pre-determined sites, and the Scarlet Knights landed in Athens, Ga. RU rallied to defeat 13th-seeded Western Kentucky in the first round (64-52), thanks in large part to a 21-point, 10-rebound, six-steal effort from sophomore Cappie Pondexter. In the second round against host and fifth-seeded Georgia, the Scarlet Knights were unable to overcome a 27-10 difference in foul calls and lost, 74-64.
2001: Rutgers received its second consecutive bid to the West Region and its first-ever fourth seed, earning the right to host the first two rounds of the tournament for a third consecutive year. The Scarlet Knights made short work of 13th-seeded Stephen F. Austin in the first round (80-43) as Tasha Pointer set a new NCAA?Tournament record with her 18 assists. Next up for Rutgers was fifth-seeded Southwest Missouri State and NCAA all-time scoring leader Jackie Stiles. Fate seemed to be on the Lady Bears’ side as SMS earned a 60-53 victory on Rutgers’ home court and eventually advanced to the Final Four in St. Louis, just hours from the Southwest Missouri State campus.
2000: Rutgers earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region and hosted the first and second rounds for the second-straight year at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. The Scarlet Knights were successful in continuing their climb to the top, advancing to the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament Final Four, which was held in Philadelphia. The Scarlet Knights defeated Holy Cross (91-70) and Saint Joseph’s (59-39) on their home court, and continued their winning ways on the road in Portland, Ore., against Alabama-Birmingham (60-45) and the West Region’s No. 1 seed, Georgia (59-51). The winning streak for Rutgers ended in Philadelphia when the Scarlet Knights fell to Tennessee in the national semifinals, 64-54.
1999: Rutgers received the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and earned the right to host first- and second-round games at the Louis Brown Athletic Center for the first time since 1994. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since the field expanded to 64 teams by defeating Dartmouth (84-70) and Arizona (90-47) at home and Texas Tech (53-42) in Normal, Ill., before falling to eventual national champion Purdue (75-62) in the Midwest Regional final.
1998: Rutgers earned an at-large bid and the No. 5 seed in the Mideast Region to gain its first NCAA?Tournament appearance in four years. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the Sweet Sixteen by defeating Oregon (79-76) and Iowa State (62-61) at the subregional in Ames, Iowa. Both games went down to the wire. Tomora Young hit a three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining to down Oregon, and Tasha Pointer nailed two late free throws to defeat Iowa State. In the Mideast Regional semifinal game (Sweet Sixteen), the Scarlet Knights fell 92-60 to No. 1 seed and defending national champion Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn.
1994: The expanded 64-team bracket made its debut in 1994 and Rutgers made its ninth consecutive trip to the “Big Dance.” Rutgers received a No. 5 seed in the East Region and hosted 12th-seeded Western Kentucky. Despite a 31-point performance from senior Caroline DeRoose, Rutgers fell 84-73 to the Lady Toppers.
1993: The Lady Knights made their eighth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament as the ninth seed in the East Region. First-round action saw Rutgers travel to Vermont, where the Lady Knights snapped a two-year Catamount home winning streak with an 80-74 victory. In the second round, the Lady Knights fell 91-60 to eventual national runner-up Ohio State.
1991: The Lady Knights earned their sixth consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament with a No. 6 seed in the East Region. Rutgers hosted Toledo in the first round and saw its 16-game home winning streak come to an end with an 83-65 defeat.
1990: The Lady Knights made it five tournaments in a row as they earned the No. 11 seed in the Mideast Region. Rutgers headed to Nashville, Tenn., to meet Vanderbilt in the first round of the tournament. Leading by 12 points with 3:32 remaining in the game, the Lady Commodores caused back-to-back Rutgers miscues and the Lady Knights exited Memorial Coliseum with a 78-75 loss.
1989: The Lady Knights made their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA’s, earning an at-large bid to the prestigious 48-team tournament. Rutgers earned a No. 7 seed in the Mideast Region and defeated No. 10 seed Southern Mississippi in the first round (95-73) in Piscataway. The Lady Knights advanced to the second round and lost to host and No. 2 seed N.C. State (75-73). Freshman Tanya Hansen almost put her team into overtime after attempting a foul-line-extended jumper with five seconds remaining, but could not get the shot to fall.
1988: Rutgers was crowned as the Atlantic 10 Conference Champion for the second-straight year, giving the Lady Knights their second-consecutive automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Knights were seeded third in the East, earning a first-round bye and a second-round home game with Old Dominion. Rutgers defeated the Lady Monarchs 88-78, to ironically go to Old Dominion’s home court in Norfolk, Va., for the Regional Tournament. The Lady Knights made a quick departure as they lost to Virginia in the first game 89-75 to finish in the Sweet Sixteen round of the Tournament.
1987: Rutgers went to the NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The Lady Knights were once again seeded second in the East with a first-round bye and a second-round home game. Rutgers handed a tough Duke team a 78-64 loss and earned a trip to the Regional Tournament in Raleigh, N.C.. Rutgers defeated N.C. State 75-60 in the regional semifinal before meeting the number-one team in the nation, Texas. Rutgers and the Lady Longhorns went right down to the wire in the most exciting ESPN telecast of the day. Texas finally controlled the game and went back home to Austin to host the Final Four tournament with an 85-77 victory against the second-year Elite Eight participants.
1986: Rutgers received its first invitation to the NCAA Tournament in 1986. After losing to Penn State in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament final, the Lady Knights earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and were seeded second in the East Region. Rutgers was awarded a first-round bye and played Villanova in the second round at home, defeating the BIG?EAST Conference Champions (85-58). Next on board for the Lady Knights was a journey to the Palestra in Philadelphia for the East Regionals. Rutgers met Penn State for the fifth time that season, exacting revenge for the defeat the Lions handed the Lady?Knights in the A-10 Tournament by posting an 85-72 victory. Rutgers then faced fourth-seeded Western Kentucky, but fell to the eventual Final Four participant 89-74 to finish in the nation’s Elite Eight.
