For years it lurked as a potential rivalry that just hasn’t happened. Stanford on the West Coast, Connecticut in the East, each the dominant program in its region.
Now, thanks to the NCAA tournament, the two women’s basketball powers are meeting halfway. Stanford plays Connecticut in the semifinals of the Kansas City Regional, the marquee matchup in the next round of a tournament march that has top seeds Tennessee, LSU and North Carolina with little ol’ Liberty tagging along.
The Stanford-UConn game Sunday is a rarity for the NCAAs – the nation’s No. 1-ranked team against the defending champion. Stanford led the final poll, though the Cardinal are only the No. 2 seed in the region, and third-seeded Connecticut is seeking an unprecedented fourth straight national title. The only other such game occurred in 1997, when Tennessee beat UConn
“I think there’s probably some people surprised that it’s a regional semifinal game and not a regional final or a Final Four game,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “I’m sure UConn feels the same way.”
“I think it will be hard because one team is not going to move on. I’m sure both feel they’re deserving of being an Elite Eight team or a Final Four team, but the bracket was not designed that way.”
It also wasn’t designed for No. 13 seeds to get this far, but Liberty made it anyway. Led by 6-foot-8 Katie Feenstra, the Flames knocked off fourth-seeded Penn State and fifth-seeded DePaul, the program’s first NCAA tournament victories. Now comes their “reward” – a game against LSU in Chattanooga on Saturday.
“I’m excited to play in big games, especially ones we’re not expected to win,” said Feenstra, who’s averaging 25.5 points and 12 rebounds and shooting 73 percent in the tournament. “I like to show what we’re capable of.”
Only one other No. 13 seed has made it this far, Texas A&M in 1994.
Liberty aside, the regional lineup contains the usual cast of favorites. Twelve of the 16 highest seeded teams will be playing this weekend, including all four No. 1s and all four No. 2s. Two No. 5 seeds made it, Arizona State and Vanderbilt, as did sixth-seeded Georgia.
CHATTANOOGA REGIONAL
Saturday
LSU (31-2) vs. Liberty (26-6)
Georgia (24-9) vs. Duke (30-4)
A bit of history is worth mentioning. When Texas A&M advanced as a No. 13 seed, the Aggies got walloped by top-seeded Purdue 82-56 in the regional semifinals. Unless Liberty is on top of its game, the same thing could happen to the Flames because LSU is looking every bit the part of the tournament’s top overall seed.
LSU won its two NCAA games by margins of 34 and 33 points and held those opponents to a combined 25 percent shooting (30-for-120).
Freshman Tasha Humphrey is playing like a veteran for Georgia. She had 26 points and 10 rebounds in a second-round victory over third-seeded Texas.
Second-seeded Duke fought through the first two rounds without injured guard Jessica Foley, who has tendinitis in her left foot, but the Blue Devils will need her against Georgia’s quick backcourt. Even with Foley, Duke has only eight players.
TEMPE REGIONAL
Saturday
North Carolina (29-3) vs. Arizona State (24-9)
Baylor (29-3) vs. Minnesota (26-7)
Arizona State has the Pac-10’s top defense and gets to play on its homecourt. The Sun Devils will need every edge they can find because North Carolina is rolling.
The Tar Heels have won 15 straight and they beat their first two NCAA opponents by an average of 29.5 points. Arizona State will have to keep Ivory Latta and her teammates out of the transition game in which they thrive.
Second-seeded Baylor looked to be a Final Four contender going in and the Lady Bears haven’t done anything to change that perception. They overwhelmed Illinois State and Oregon with the inside duo of Sophia Young and Steffanie Blackmon, who’ll go against Minnesota’s Janel McCarville and Jamie Broback in one of the best matchups of the tournament so far.
PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL
Sunday
Tennessee (28-4) vs. Texas Tech (24-7)
Ohio State (30-4) vs. Rutgers (27-6)
Those who like to see teams get after it defensively should enjoy this regional because all four teams excel in that area.
Tennessee comes at opponents from every angle, usually in a man-to-man. Fourth-seeded Texas Tech puts good pressure on the ball and has an intimidating shot blocker inside with 6-5 Cisti Greenwalt.
Second-seeded Ohio State and third-seeded Rutgers rely on zones to shut down opponents, with Ohio State having the bonus of 6-4 All-American Jessica Davenport inside.
Both coaches have strong Philly ties. Ohio State’s Jim Foster grew up in suburban Philadelphia, graduated from Temple and coached at Saint Joseph’s. Rutgers’ Vivian Stringer cut her coaching teeth at Cheyney, which is just outside Philadelphia.
KANSAS CITY REGIONAL
Sunday
Stanford (31-2) vs. Connecticut (25-7)
Michigan State (30-3) vs. Vanderbilt (24-7)
A fourth straight national championship seemed out of the question for Connecticut at midseason, but the Huskies are marching through March again. They’ve won six in a row and are one of the deeper teams still around.
Forward T’Nae Thiel, who has been recovering from a partial fracture in her left foot, is expected back for Stanford and VanDerveer figures she’ll be needed against the Huskies, who rebound aggressively. Stanford’s 22-game winning streak is the nation’s longest.
Michigan State is the only No. 1 seed that has struggled in the tournament. While their defense has been sound, the Spartans played poorly on offense in the first half against Alcorn State and needed last-second shot to beat Southern Cal.
They’ll have to execute better against Vanderbilt, which can score inside with Ashley Earley and Carla Thomas or on the perimeter with Dee Davis and Abi Ramsey.
AP-ES-03-24-05 1258EST
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