College basketball

Women: Rutgers pushes UConn off perch

By wire services
Published March 2, 2005

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Move over, UConn. There's a new champ in the Big East.

Matee Ajavon scored 14 and Michelle Campbell 13, helping No. 9 Rutgers win its first Big East regular-season title outright with a 51-39 win over Villanova on Tuesday night.

The Scarlet Knights shared the 1998-99 crown with Connecticut, which had won or shared 11 straight regular-season titles.

Rutgers, winners of 18 of 21, earned its first No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament that begins Saturday at the Hartford Civic Center.

Liad Suez had 12 points for the Wildcats, two in the second half.

Villanova has a recent history of knocking off Top 10 teams, including the No. 1 Huskies in last year's season finale and then-No. 4 Notre Dame last month.

NO. 10 NOTRE DAME 41, SETON HALL 35: Freshman Charel Allen had 14 points and nine rebounds, and the Irish clinched the No. 2 seed in the Big East tournament despite tying a school record for fewest points in a road game.

NO. 14 UCONN 71, W. VA. 41: Ann Strother scored 19 and the visiting Huskies pulled away in the second half.

NO. 20 IOWA ST. 61, KANSAS 52: Katie Robinette had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Mary Fox scored 18 as the Cyclones finished unbeaten at home.

NO. 22 BC 64, ST. JOHN'S 45: Kathrin Ress shot 9-of-15 and scored 22 for the visiting Eagles.

FSU: Senior guard Roneeka Hodges became the third Seminole named first-team All-ACC, joining Tia Paschal (1993) and Brooke Wyckoff (2001). Hodges averages a team-high 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, leading Florida State to a surprising fourth-place ACC finish, a 23-6 record and a sure NCAA Tournament bid.

ALL-SSC TEAMS: Tampa's Shaneisha Walton was named Sunshine State Conference freshman of the year, and Eckerd's Tameron Armbrister joined her on the all-freshman team.

Times staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report.

[Last modified March 2, 2005, 00:48:07]