(16) Colgate (21-9) vs. (1) Tennessee (26-3)
Game Info: 11:00 am EST Sat Mar 20, 2004 - Leon County Civic Center (Tallahassee, FL)
Tennessee is undefeated in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.
The top-seeded Lady Vols will try extend that amazing streak when they face Colgate in the first round.
Tennessee has won 32 straight games in the first two rounds, and is an imposing foe for the first-time Raiders.
``Our players grew up watching (Tennessee coach) Pat Summitt and watching Tennessee,'' said Colgate coach Beth Combs. ``This is the culmination of all our hard work, to be able to play one of the best programs perennially in the country.''
Facing the Raiders for the first time, Summitt says she advised her team against taking its untested opponent for granted, mindful that any team can beat another, especially in tourney play.
``They play really well together,'' Summitt said. ``They do a good job of getting the ball inside and kicking out. They're very strong in their half-court offense, and that (kind of offense) has hurt us all season.''
Colgate (21-9) beat American 71-60 in the Patriot League title game to win its first conference championship. Now the Raiders are hoping to make the most of their first trip to the tournament.
``Having the chance to play Tennessee is like a dream come true,'' said Colgate senior co-captain Malissa Burke. ``Really, we have nothing to lose. If anything, Tennessee is the one who should be nervous. They don't want to lose to a team that's never been to the tournament before.''
The Lady Vols, looking to win their seventh national title and first since 1998, have a harder road than usual just to get to the Midwest Regional games in Norman, Okla.
For the first time, Tennessee is not hosting first- and second-round games even though it earned the top overall seeding. Instead of going to Chattanooga, about 100 miles south of Knoxville, the Lady Vols are off to Florida. Tennessee already has beaten eight teams this season that were placed in the Midwest.
``A lot of what postseason is about is playing your best basketball at the right time of the year,'' Summitt said. ``We are in store for some of the most exciting games in the history of our tournament.''
PROBABLE STARTERS: Colgate - F Milaina Lagzdins (7.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg), F Leandra Fuller (7.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg), G Emily Braseth (16.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg), G Chigozie Ozor (8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg), G Burke (14.7, 3.4 apg). Tennessee - F LaToya Davis, (4.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg), F Shyra Ely (15.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg), C Ashley Robinson (8.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg), G Tasha Butts (10.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg), G Shanna Zolman (12.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Colgate - Automatic bid, Patriot League champion. Tennessee - At-large berth.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Colgate - First appearance. Tennessee - 80-16, 22 years.
March 20, 2004
(3) Pittsburgh 53, (14) UCF 44
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Well this certainly wasn't the kind of game anyone expected from Pittsburgh.
Usually crisp and cool -- not to mention good -- Pittsburgh played its worst game of the season Friday night, barely managing to hold off scrappy Central Florida 53-44 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Panthers shot a season-worst 29.5 percent, and had their fewest field goals (13) and assists (seven). Carl Krauser led Pittsburgh with 18 points and Chevon Troutman added 13 on 5-for-5 shooting, but the rest of the squad went 4-of-26.
The victory was Pittsburgh's 30th this season, a school record, and fans threw blue-and-gold confetti as the final buzzer sounded. But it's safe to say the Panthers (30-4) won't be devoting too much attention to this one in the record books.
Much had been made of Pittsburgh only getting a third seed. But if Central Florida wasn't equally inept, shooting less than 31 percent, the Panthers would likely be heading home.
Instead, they advanced to the second round of the East Rutherford regional where they'll play sixth-seeded Wisconsin on Sunday. The Badgers beat Richmond 76-64.
The 14th-seeded Golden Knights (25-6) have one victory over a Top 25 team and are 0-for-3 in the NCAA tournament. But it seemed as if this might be their night, especially with the Wisconsin crowd jumping on their bandwagon. Whenever the small contingent of Pittsburgh fans started chanting, ``Let's go Pitt!'' they were quickly drowned out by the Central Florida and Wisconsin fans.
Roberto Morenti's layup with 10:07 left gave the Golden Knights a 36-33 lead, but their already sputtery offense fell apart from there. They made just one field goal the rest of the way, while Pittsburgh outscored them 20-8 in the final 10 minutes.
It helped that the Panthers finally got their offense going. Pittsburgh has four players -- Krauser, Julius Page, Jaron Brown and Chris Taft -- who average in double figures, but Krauser was the only one getting it done Friday. He scored 12 of Pittsburgh's first 13 points in the second half, and the Panthers didn't get a field goal from anyone else until Troutman's driving layup with 5:28 to play.
Page finally hit a 3-pointer with 2:25 left after missing 10 of his first 11 shots. The basket was a big one, too, putting Pittsburgh comfortably ahead 43-38. The Golden Knights tried to mount a last comeback, but they didn't have the energy.
Or the offense.
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Well this certainly wasn't the kind of game anyone expected from Pittsburgh.
Usually crisp and cool -- not to mention good -- Pittsburgh played its worst game of the season Friday night, barely managing to hold off scrappy Central Florida 53-44 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Panthers shot a season-worst 29.5 percent, and had their fewest field goals (13) and assists (seven). Carl Krauser led Pittsburgh with 18 points and Chevon Troutman added 13 on 5-for-5 shooting, but the rest of the squad went 4-of-26.
The victory was Pittsburgh's 30th this season, a school record, and fans threw blue-and-gold confetti as the final buzzer sounded. But it's safe to say the Panthers (30-4) won't be devoting too much attention to this one in the record books.
Much had been made of Pittsburgh only getting a third seed. But if Central Florida wasn't equally inept, shooting less than 31 percent, the Panthers would likely be heading home.
Instead, they advanced to the second round of the East Rutherford regional where they'll play sixth-seeded Wisconsin on Sunday. The Badgers beat Richmond 76-64.
The 14th-seeded Golden Knights (25-6) have one victory over a Top 25 team and are 0-for-3 in the NCAA tournament. But it seemed as if this might be their night, especially with the Wisconsin crowd jumping on their bandwagon. Whenever the small contingent of Pittsburgh fans started chanting, ``Let's go Pitt!'' they were quickly drowned out by the Central Florida and Wisconsin fans.
Roberto Morenti's layup with 10:07 left gave the Golden Knights a 36-33 lead, but their already sputtery offense fell apart from there. They made just one field goal the rest of the way, while Pittsburgh outscored them 20-8 in the final 10 minutes.
It helped that the Panthers finally got their offense going. Pittsburgh has four players -- Krauser, Julius Page, Jaron Brown and Chris Taft -- who average in double figures, but Krauser was the only one getting it done Friday. He scored 12 of Pittsburgh's first 13 points in the second half, and the Panthers didn't get a field goal from anyone else until Troutman's driving layup with 5:28 to play.
Page finally hit a 3-pointer with 2:25 left after missing 10 of his first 11 shots. The basket was a big one, too, putting Pittsburgh comfortably ahead 43-38. The Golden Knights tried to mount a last comeback, but they didn't have the energy.
Or the offense.
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