Produced by: Office of Marketing and Communications
March 19, 2013
For the fourth-straight year, the St. John’s women’s basketball team has earned an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA Tournament, according to the Selection Committee’s March 18th announcement on ESPN.
The number 10-seed Red Storm will face the number seven-seed University of Dayton Flyers in the NCAA Championship’s first round on Sunday, March 24, at Carnesecca Arena on St. John’s Queens, New York, campus. Tip off will be at approximately 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Carnesecca Arena also will serve as the host site for the number two-seed University of Kentucky Wildcats and the number 15-seed Navy women, who will play the first game on March 24 with a noon tip off.
The Red Storm’s appearance will be Joe Tartamella’s first bid to the NCAA Tournament as head coach. It is his fifth trip overall with the women’s team, which he served as associate head coach for three years prior to his April 27, 2012, appointment to the top spot, and as assistant coach in 2006.
“I couldn’t be prouder for our players going to the tournament four-straight times,” said Tartamella. “For our seniors, Shenneika [Smith ’13CPS] and Nadirah [McKenith ’13CPS], to be able to finish their careers here going to four-straight tournaments is really a testament to where the program is.”
The 2012–2013 season marks St. John’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance since 1983. The Red Storm has an overall record of 6–7 in the Big Dance, and has earned a second-round appearance four times (1988, 2006, 2010, 2011, and 2012). The Red Storm’s NCAA appearance on March 24 will be its third encounter with the Flyers.
St. John’s finished the season tied for third in the BIG EAST, with Louisville and Syracuse at 11–5 in league play. In the post-season tournament, the team went 1–1, defeating number 12-seed Seton Hall but losing to Louisville in the quarterfinals. Smith and McKenith were voted to the All-BIG EAST first team, while rookie guard Aliyyah Handford ’16CPS received unanimous BIG EAST All-Freshman team honors.
For ticket information, visit St. John’s Athletics site.