Two late losses drop UConn to No. 2; Vols earn overall top seed.
By Associated Press
Published March 15, 2004
Tennessee earned the top overall seed in the NCAA women's tournament Sunday, but two straight national championships weren't enough to get a No. 1 for Connecticut.
Coach Pat Summitt's Vols, winners of a record six national titles, were made the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. Also at the top of the brackets were Penn State (East), Duke (Mideast) and Texas (West).
Tennessee, Duke and Texas, all of whom won or shared their regular-season conference championships, had been considered locks to be seeded No. 1. Penn State got the other after playing a challenging schedule, and the Nittany Lions face an equally challenging road to the Final Four in New Orleans.
They could end up facing second-seeded Connecticut in the East Region final at the Hartford Civic Center, UConn's second home court. The Huskies are 37-2 at the Civic Center since the 1996-97 season.
UConn, which has won three of the past four NCAA titles, failed to gain a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1998, when as a No. 2 it was upset by North Carolina State in the East Region final.
Connecticut had appeared to be in line for a No. 1 seed until losing to Villanova in its next-to-last regular-season game, then falling to Boston College in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.
But it was a banner year for the Big East overall because the league got a record-tying eight teams in the tournament. UConn will be joined by Boston College, Miami, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Villanova, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
The SEC had eight teams in 1999 and 2002. Seven SEC teams made it this time: Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi and Vanderbilt.
The Big 12 also had seven and the Big Ten six.
First-round games will be played Saturday and Sunday at 16 sites. Those winners play March 22 or 23.
Finals in the East in Hartford and the West in Seattle are March 27 and 29. The Mideast in Norfolk, Va., and the Midwest in Norman, Okla., are March 28 and 30.
At the national semifinals April 4, it will be East vs. Mideast and Midwest against West. That creates the possibility of a Tennessee-Connecticut championship game for the second straight season and fourth since 1995. UConn won the three previous meetings, including 73-68 in Atlanta last year.
Texas is a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1988 and Penn State for the first time since 1994. Duke earned its fourth straight No. 1 seed but still is looking for its first national title. Tennessee, which has survived the midseason loss of starting point guard Loree Moore to a knee injury, is a No. 1 for the 15th time in 17 years.
"We're really pleased with our adjustment both offensively and defensively," Summitt said. "Obviously, we wish Loree was with us, but I think everyone has taken on a lot more responsibility since the injury occurred."
The other No. 2 seeds are Kansas State in the Mideast, Vanderbilt in the Midwest and Purdue in the West. Purdue beat Penn State in the finals of the Big Ten tournament but lost to the Lions twice during the season, and its schedule didn't measure up to Penn State's in the selection committee's view.
Tennessee (26-3), ranked fifth in the Associated Press poll, won the regular-season SEC title at 14-0, then stumbled in the conference tournament, losing to Georgia in overtime in the semifinals.
However, the Vols played the nation's toughest schedule and have 18 victories over teams that made the tournament, including 72-69 at top-ranked Duke.
They play Patriot League champion Colgate at Tallahassee on Saturday.
