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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- Once No. 8 Rutgers got Anna Kinne under control, beating Holy Cross was easy.
Stopping Kinne just took a lot longer than anyone expected.
Rutgers withstood a first-half barrage in what was a career game
by Kinne and then blew the game open with a 26-4 second-half run in
beating Holy Cross 91-70 Friday night in the first round of the
NCAA women's tournament.
"We knew the first three minutes of the second half are crucial
in determining a basketball game," said Rutgers point guard Tasha
Pointer, who led the game-breaking run with eight points. "We
figured if we could jump on them the first three minutes it would
help us get over the hump."
Usha Gilmore had 14 points, Shawnetta Stewart 13 and Pointer 11
as the second-seeded Scarlet Knights (23-7) advanced to a matchup
here on Sunday against 10th-seeded St. Joseph's (25-5), which beat
seventh-seeded Texas 69-48.
"Good teams make the NCAA tournament and they come out and play
hard for 20 minutes," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said.
"What separates good teams from better teams is the ability to
play hard for 40 minutes and that's what we did."
Rutgers' 21-point margin of victory doesn't show how much of a
scare the 15th-seeded Crusaders (23-7) and Kinne, who had a
career-high 28 points, gave their Big East Conference opponent.
"Anybody who is associated with Holy Cross and is not proud
right now should have their head examined," coach Bill Gibbons
said.
Even Rutgers fans were impressed with Kinne, the Patriot League
player of the year. The spunky 5-foot-6 guard hit 6-of-7 3-pointers
and scored 19 points in the first half in keeping Holy Cross within
41-37.
However, Rutgers didn't give her any looks at the basket in the
final 20 minutes, finishing 9 for 12 from the floor.
"The girl was just staring me in the face," Kinne said of the
adjustment Rutgers made defensively. "I don't know if it was a
triangle and two or whatever, but they definitely stepped up their
pressure."
The Scarlet Knights ended the Crusaders' upset hopes by turning
up the defense and scoring the first 12 points of the second half
to lead 53-37 with just over 15 minutes to play.
Pointer had six points in the initial 12-0 spurt and eight in
the game-winning run. Gilmore added six and Stewart had four in the
run.
Rutgers hit 11 of its first 15 shots in the final 20 minutes.
Holy Cross made 2-of-9 from the field to start the second half and
had six turnovers.
"They upped the intensity but I also thought the key in the
second half was they made some shots," Gibbons said. "They made
shots, and kids that usually don't make shots or who weren't making
shots in the first half made shots in the second. With a team like
that you can only take away so much."
The Scarlet Knights opened eight-point leads three times in the
first half, but each time Kinne hit a bomb.
Jeanette Paukert added 15 points for Holy Cross.
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Holy Cross NCAA Team Report
Rutgers NCAA Team Report
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