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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
STORRS, Conn. (AP) -- When the game was on the line, Shawnetta
Stewart and Linda Miles were perfect from it.
Both were 6-of-6 from the free throw line in overtime. Stewart
also hit a 3-pointer and made a key steal in the extra period to
lead Rutgers (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 8 AP) to an 81-72 win over No. 5 Notre Dame in a Big East semifinal Monday night.
|  | | Rutgers' Karlita Washington takes the ball to the net past Notre Dame's Ericka Haney. |
"We really stuck together tonight," said Stewart, who finished
with 23 points. "I think we wanted it more. We outhustled them."
She helped the Scarlet Knights (22-6) avenge a 78-74 overtime
loss to the Fighting Irish (25-4) on Feb. 19.
In that contest, Notre Dame freshman Alicia Ratay hit two
3-pointers to send the game into overtime and made two key free
throws to win it.
"Of course we remember it," said Rutgers coach Vivian
Stringer. "It was like a dagger in the heart."
She credited her team with being more focused in the extra
period Monday.
"We didn't get carried away," she said. "We did anything to
get everything we could."
The Scarlet Knights will play defending conference champion
Connecticut for the title Tuesday. The top-ranked Huskies advanced
with a 79-54 victory over Boston College (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 17 AP).
Miles hit one of two free throws with 1:05 left in regulation to
tie it at 58. Rutgers got the ball back after an Irish miss and
Stewart drove to the basket and missed a layup. She came out of a
scramble with the ball and threw in a backward shot, was fouled and
converted the 3-point play to put Rutgers up 61-58.
Ratay hit two free throws to get the Irish within 61-60.
Stewart was fouled with 20 seconds left and made one of two free
throws. She fouled Danielle Green on the other end and Green hit
both from the line to send the game into overtime.
Rutgers center Tammy Sutton-Brown scored the first four points
in the extra period, but Kelley Siemon got the Irish back to within
three, hitting one of two free throws.
That's when Stewart took over.
She hit a 3-pointer with 2:43 left and stole the ball on the
next Irish possession. She and Miles were both perfect from the
foul line down the stretch to ice the game.
Rutgers dominated the boards, 39-26. Miles led the Scarlet
Knights with 11.
Ruth Riley had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Irish.
Sutton-Brown had 18 points and eight rebounds. Both fouled out late
in overtime.
"We hit free throws in the end," said Stringer. "That's when
it counts, doesn't it?"
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Rutgers Clubhouse
Notre Dame Clubhouse
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