Rutgers Defense Smothers LSU, And Propels Knights to the Final

CLEVELAND — Rutgers's improbable run isn't over.

The Scarlet Knights earned their first trip to the national championship behind Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer with another unlikely scenario — dominating the LSU Lady Tigers from the opening tip.

Matee Ajavon scored 16 points and Rutgers (27–8) hounded 6-foot-6-inch Sylvia Fowles to beat LSU 59–35 in the national semifinals last night. Swarming defense and a hot touch behind the arc blew out LSU, which scored the fewest points ever in the Final Four — Louisiana Tech had 44 vs. Tennessee in '87 title game.

Frustrated by Rutgers' relentless defenders, Fowles was held to five points and seven rebounds.

The Lady Tigers (30–8) ended a surprising tournament run behind acting head coach Bob Starkey, who was thrust into the spotlight when coach Pokey Chatman abruptly resigned March 7 amid allegations of improper conduct with one or more former players

The Rutgers crowd chanted Stringer's initials "C-V-S" in the closing minutes. Stringer was hugged by her entire staff as she makes her way back to the title game 25 years after she took Cheyney there.

"Wow," Stringer said. "That's the best word to describe what happened here. We talked about believing in what we know. No one expected us to be here, but these players believe in themselves. We focused on the defense. We didn't read into the hype.

"Guess we'll see all you guys here on Tuesday."

With five freshmen on the roster, the Scarlet Knights started the season 2-4 and are just the third no. 4 seed to reach the championship. They'll face the winner of the North Carolina-Tennessee game and try to become the lowest seed to win an NCAA title.

"It's a dream come true," Stringer said. "Work hard, get some rest and see what we can do in this next one."

Essence Carson scored 15 points before leaving with leg cramps in the second half. She hit three 3-pointers and Rutgers was 10-of-20 from behind the arc, but only 20-of-51 overall.