North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Auburn University
Wolfpack Falls To Auburn, 79-59, In NCAA First Round
3/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 21, 2004
By DONNA TOMMELLEO
AP Sports Writer
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Natasha Brackett scored 26 points and Auburn dominated on the inside to beat North Carolina State 79-59 in the first round of the NCAA tournament Sunday.
The Tigers (22-8), the seventh seed in the East Regional, were the champions of the WNIT last season but not one player on the roster had any NCAA tournament experience.
It didn't seem to matter.
Le'Coe Willingham and Mandisa Stevenson each had 10 rebounds and Auburn, making its first tournament appearance since 2000, advanced to play the winner of the game between second-seeded Connecticut and No. 15 seed Pennsylvania.
Rachel Stockdale hit 5-of-7 3-pointers to lead the 10th-seeded Wolfpack (17-15) with 15 points.
North Carolina State jumped out to an early lead behind three straight 3-pointers by Stockdale but Brackett scored 14 points in the first half and the Tigers shot 64 percent in the game's first 15 minutes.
A 16-4 run late in the half gave the Tigers a 46-33 halftime lead, and the Wolfpack never threatened the lead again.
Brackett finished 10-of-16 from the floor, including four 3-pointers. Stevenson finished with 18 points and Willingham added 15.
Auburn held the Wolfpack's Kaayla Chones to six points, nearly nine below her team-leading average. Four of her points came on free throws.
