North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Versus Auburn AP Preview
3/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 19, 2004
No. 10 NC State (17-14) vs. No. 7 Auburn (21-8)
REGIONAL: East, First round
TIME: Sunday, 7 p.m. EST
SITE: Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard; Bridgeport, Conn.
Auburn is back in the NCAA tournament after a three-year absence.
However, despite finishing third overall in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference this season, the Tigers were given a No. 7 seed and will face North Carolina State in the first round.
Five of the six other SEC teams that made the NCAA field were seeded higher than Auburn, which won the WNIT championship last year.
"If you feel sorry for yourself right now, you don't belong in this tournament," Tigers coach Joe Ciampi said. "If you're afraid (of what lies ahead), buy a dog. We have to go and play."
Auburn is making its 16th trip to the NCAA tournament, one of just 13 teams ever to have that many appearances. However, the Tigers lost three of their last four games, including a 76-74 upset by Vanderbilt in the opening round of the SEC Tournament.
After suffering through two consecutive losing seasons, NC State seemed destined for another as it opened league play with five straight losses. However, the Wolfpack finished strong, winning eight of their last 11 games to finish the regular season tied with Maryland for the third place in the ACC.
The school's late-season surge carried them to the league tourney semifinals, before falling to North Carolina 75-64.
Wolfpack coach Kay Yow says her team's chances of advancing rest on their ability to stop Le'Coe Willingham, Auburn's leading scorer and rebounder.
However, the Tigers also have an outside threat in Natasha Brackett, who leads the team in 3-point baskets made and attempted, giving them an impressive inside-outside combination.
"Coach said if we don't bring our A-game, we will get blown away," Wolfpack Nanna Rivers said.
NC State should be strengthened by the return of junior guard Kendra Bell, a three-year starter, who sat out the ACC tournament with mononucleosis.
"Kendra's one of our best defensive guards and one of our best ballhandlers," Yow said. "And she penetrates, is good at kicking it out to some of our scorers, so our roles were messed up some not having her."
PROBABLE STARTERS:
NC State - F Alvine Mendeng (7.8 ppg 5.9 rpg), C Kaayla
Chones (14.8 ppg 7.8 rpg), G Terah James (3.9 ppg, 1.7 apg), G Bell (7.2 ppg
3.0 rpg), G Rivers (6.2 ppg 3.4 apg).
Auburn - F Nancy Derrick (3.7 ppg 3.5
rpg), F Willingham (16.4 ppg 9.2 rpg), C Mandisa Stevenson (8.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg),
G Nicole Louden (7.6 ppg, 4.3 apg), G Brackett (12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
NC State - At-large berth.
Auburn - At-large berth.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD:
NC State - 17-16, 16 years.
Auburn - 27-15, 15 years.
