Rutgers Women Heading to Spokane

The Rutgers women's basketball team will open the NCAA tournament on Saturday with a game versus Gonzaga.

Rutgers, 22-9, is the sixth seed in the western bracket, which also includes top-seeded Connecticut. UConn defeated Rutgers in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, ending the Knights' five-game winning streak. Fellow Central Jersey school Princeton is the ninth seed out west.

“We’re just happy to play, we appreciate the opportunity, and we feel like we’ve worked hard during the course of the year to deserve an invitation to the dance,” said Stringer.

Rutgers, 35-22 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, has won six of its past seven first-round appearances. The Scarlet Knights are 11-2 in first round games under Stringer. RU has made eight trips to the Tournament Regional and a pair of Final Four runs, including the National Championship game in 2007.

Baylor is the overall top seed in the tournament.