2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament

2008 NCAA Women's Division I
Basketball Tournament

2008 Women's Final Four logo
Teams 64
Finals site St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa, Florida
Champions Tennessee (8th title)
Runner-up Stanford (3rd title game)
Semifinalists Connecticut (9th Final Four)
LSU (5th Final Four)
Winning coach Pat Summitt (8th title)
MOP Candace Parker
Top scorer Candice Wiggins Stanford
(151 points)
NCAA Women's Division I Tournaments
«2007  2009»

The 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2007–08 national champion of women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It commenced on March 22, 2008, and concluded when the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers defeated the Stanford University Cardinal 64–48 on April 8, 2008 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida.[1]

Contents

Subregionals

Albuquerque
Baton Rouge
Bridgeport
College Park
Des Moines
Norfolk
Stanford
West Lafayette
2008 NCAA subregionals

Once again, the system was the same as the Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, with the exception that only 64 teams received bids, and there was no play-in game. Automatic bids were secured by 31 conference champions and 33 at-large bids.

The subregionals, which once again used the "pod system", keeping most teams at or close to the home cities, were held from March 22 to March 25 at these locations:[1]

This was the fourth and final year that eight sites hosted subregional games. The committee, in September, 2007, voted to return to the 16-site format for the early rounds starting with the 2009 tournament.

Regionals

Greensboro
New Orleans
Oklahoma City
Spokane
Tampa
2008 NCAA Regionals and Final Four

The regions (once again named after the host cities, a practice begun in 2005) were be held from March 29 to April 1 in the following regions:[1]

The regional winners advanced to the Final Four, held April 6 and 8, 2008 at the St. Pete Times Forum, in Tampa, Florida, hosted by the University of South Florida.[1] USF and the St. Pete Times Forum also hosted a first and second round Men's Tournament subregional on March 21 and 23. Also, akin to the men's tournament, at the regional sites, the NCAA installed floors that were custom made for the first time.

Teams receiving bids

A total of 30 teams receive automatic bids for winning their conference tournament championship. Since the Ivy League does not hold a tournament, its regular season champion receives the automatic bid. Because Cornell, Dartmouth, and Harvard finished in a tie for first place, Ivy League rules called for a two-game stepladder playoff. Dartmouth defeated Harvard in the first game and went on to face Cornell for the automatic bid, which Cornell won 64-47. This left 33 at-large bids to be decided from the rest of the field by the NCAA. The at-large bids, along with the seeding for each team in the tournament, were announced on Monday, March 17.

School Record Conference Bid Type
Cornell 20-8 Ivy Playoff Champion
Murray State 24-7 Ohio Valley Tournament Champion[2]
East Tennessee State 21-11 Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion[3]
Marist 31-2 MAAC Tournament Champion[4]
North Carolina 30-2 ACC Tournament Champion[5]
Southern Methodist 24-8 C-USA Tournament Champion[6]
San Diego 19-12 WCC Tournament Champion[7]
Purdue 18-14 Big Ten Tournament Champion[8]
Tennessee 30-2 SEC Tournament Champion[9]
Xavier 24-8 Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion[10]
Chattanooga 29-3 SoCon Tournament Champion[11]
Stanford 30-3 Pac-10 Tournament Champion[12]
Oral Roberts 19-13 The Summit Tournament Champion[13]
Western Kentucky 26-7 Sun Belt Tournament Champion[14]
Connecticut 32-1 Big East Tournament Champion[15]
Bucknell 16-15 Patriot Tournament Champion[16]
Coppin State 22-11 MEAC Tournament Champion
Miami (Ohio) 23-10 MAC Tournament Champion
Fresno State 22-10 WAC Tournament Champion
UC Santa Barbara 23-7 Big West Tournament Champion
Jackson State 18-13 SWAC Tournament Champion
Montana 25-6 Big Sky Tournament Champion
New Mexico 20-12 Mountain West Tournament Champion
Texas A&M 26-7 Big 12 Tournament Champion
Texas-San Antonio 23-9 Southland Tournament Champion
Cleveland State 19-13 Horizon Tournament Champion
Illinois State 26-6 Missouri Valley Tournament Champion
Old Dominion 29-4 Colonial Tournament Champion
Liberty 28-3 Big South Tournament Champion
Robert Morris 23-9 Northeast Tournament Champion
Hartford 27-5 America East Tournament Champion

Bracket

Data source[17]
NOTE: All initials used are the same in the official NCAA Bracket in External Links listed below.

Greensboro Regional

  First round
March 22-23
Second round
March 24-25
Regional semifinals
March 30
Regional finals
April 1
                                     
1  Connecticut 89  
16  Cornell 47  
  1  Connecticut 89  
Bridgeport, CT
  8  Texas 55  
8  Texas 72
9  Minnesota 55  
  1  Connecticut 78  
  5  Old Dominion 63  
5  Old Dominion 82  
12  Liberty 62  
  5  Old Dominion 88*
Norfolk, VA
  4  Virginia 85  
4  Virginia 86
13  UC Santa Barbara 52  
  1  Connecticut 66
  2  Rutgers 56
6  George Washington 66  
11  Auburn 56  
  6  George Washington 55
Stanford, CA
  3  California 53  
3  California 77
14  San Diego 60  
  6  George Washington 42
  2  Rutgers 53  
7  Iowa St. 58  
10  Georgia Tech 55  
  7  Iowa St. 58
Des Moines, IA
  2  Rutgers 69  
2  Rutgers 85
15  Robert Morris 42  

Spokane Regional

  First round
March 22-23
Second round
March 24-25
Regional semifinals
March 29
Regional finals
March 31
                                     
1  Maryland 80  
16  Coppin St. 66  
  1  Maryland 76  
College Park, MD
  8  Nebraska 64  
8  Nebraska 61
9  Xavier 58  
  1  Maryland 80  
  4  Vanderbilt 66  
5  West Virginia 61  
12  New Mexico 60  
  5  West Virginia 46
Albuquerque, NM
  4  Vanderbilt 64  
4  Vanderbilt 75
13  Montana 62  
  1  Maryland 87
  2  Stanford 98
6  Pittsburgh 63  
11  Wyoming 58  
  6  Pittsburgh 67
Albuquerque, NM
  3  Baylor 59  
3  Baylor 88
14  Fresno St. 67  
  6  Pittsburgh 53
  2  Stanford 72  
7  UTEP 92  
10  Western Ky. 60  
  7  UTEP 54
Stanford, CA
  2  Stanford 88  
2  Stanford 85
15  Cleveland St. 47  

New Orleans Regional

  First round
March 22-23
Second round
March 24-25
Regional semifinals
March 29
Regional finals
March 31
                                     
1  North Carolina 85  
16  Bucknell 50  
  1  North Carolina 80  
Norfolk, VA
  8  Georgia 66  
8  Georgia 67
9  Iowa 61  
  1  North Carolina 78  
  4  Louisville 74  
5  Kansas St. 69  
12  Chattanooga 59  
  5  Kansas St. 63
Bridgeport, CT
  4  Louisville 80  
4  Louisville 81
13  Miami (Ohio) 67  
  1  North Carolina 50
  2  LSU 56
6  Ohio St. 49  
11  Florida St. 60  
  11  Florida St. 72
Des Moines, IA
  3  Oklahoma St. 73*  
3  Oklahoma St. 85
14  East Tenn. St. 73  
  3  Oklahoma St. 52
  2  LSU 67  
7  Marist 76  
10  DePaul 57  
  7  Marist 49
Baton Rouge, LA
  2  LSU 68  
2  LSU 66
15  Jackson St. 32  

Oklahoma City Regional

  First round
March 22-23
Second round
March 24-25
Regional semifinals
March 30
Regional finals
April 1
                                     
1  Tennessee 94  
16  Oral Roberts 55  
  1  Tennessee 78  
West Lafayette, IN
  9  Purdue 52  
8  Utah 59
9  Purdue 66  
  1  Tennessee 74  
  5  Notre Dame 64  
5  Notre Dame 75  
12  Southern Methodist 62  
  5  Notre Dame 79*
West Lafayette, IN
  4  Oklahoma 75  
4  Oklahoma 69
13  Illinois State 61  
  1  Tennessee 53
  2  Texas A&M 45
6  Arizona State 61  
11  Temple 54  
  6  Arizona St. 59
College Park, MD
  3  Duke 67  
3  Duke 78
14  Murray State 57  
  3  Duke 63
  2  Texas A&M 77  
7  Syracuse 55  
10  Hartford 59  
  10  Hartford 39
Baton Rouge, LA
  2  Texas A&M 63  
2  Texas A&M 91
15  Texas-San Antonio 52  

Final Four – St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida

  National Semifinals
April 6
National Championship
April 8
                 
GRE1  Connecticut 73  
SPO2  Stanford 82  
    SPO2  Stanford 48
  OKC1  Tennessee 64
NOR2  LSU 46
OKC1  Tennessee 47  

Initials: GRE-Greensboro; SPO-Spokane; NOR-New Orleans; OKC-Oklahoma City.

* - Denotes overtime period

Record by conference

Conference # of Bids Record Win % Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship Game
Colonial 1 2-1 0.667 1 - - -
Big East 8 14-8 0.636 5 2 1 -
SEC 5 13-4 0.765 3 2 2 1
ACC 6 10-6 0.625 3 2 - -
Pac-10 3 7-3 0.700 1 1 1 1
Big 12 8 11-8 0.579 2 1 - -
Atlantic 10 3 2-3 0.400 1 - - -
MAAC 1 1-1 0.500 - - - -
America East 1 1-1 0.500 - - - -
Big Ten 4 1-4 0.200 - - - -
Mountain West 3 0-3 0.000 - - - -
Conference USA 2 1-2 0.500 - - - -

Nineteen conferences — Atlantic Sun Conference, Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Big West Conference, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAC, MEAC, Missouri Valley Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference, Southland, SWAC, Sun Belt Conference, Summit League, WAC and West Coast Conference — went 0-1.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d "NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Information". http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/womens/schedules. Retrieved 2006-07-28. 
  2. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-08). "MVP Guffey leads Murray State to OVC tournament title". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280680093. Retrieved 2008-03-08. 
  3. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-08). "ETSU dumps Jacksonville for Atlantic Sun tournament crown". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280682193. Retrieved 2008-03-08. 
  4. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Fitz carries Marist to MAAC title, NCAA tourney bid". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280692368. Retrieved 2008-03-09. 
  5. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Tar Heels drop Blue Devils for another ACC tournament title". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280690153. Retrieved 2008-03-09. 
  6. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Gilliam, Shepherd spark SMU to Conference USA tournament title". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280692638. Retrieved 2008-03-09. 
  7. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Henderson's 20 lead San Diego's upset of top-seeded Gonzaga". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280692250. Retrieved 2008-03-09. 
  8. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Freeman's buzzer-beater lifts Purdue over Illinois". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280692509. Retrieved 2008-03-09. 
  9. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-09). "Lady Vols avenge Valentine's Day loss, take home another championship". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280690099. Retrieved 2008-03-10. 
  10. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-10). "Taylor helps Xavier win league title, earn NCAA berth". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280700218. Retrieved 2008-03-10. 
  11. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-10). "Lady Mocs win third straight league championship". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280700236. Retrieved 2008-03-10. 
  12. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-10). "Wiggins' 30 power Stanford past Cal for Pac-10 tourney crown". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280700024. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
  13. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-11). "Oral Roberts beats IUPUI to reach second straight NCAA tourney". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280710085. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
  14. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-11). "Western Kentucky earns first NCAA tournament bid since '03". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280710098. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
  15. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-11). "Huskies win 14th Big East tournament title". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280710041. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
  16. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-12). "Bucknell earns second NCAA automatic bid". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=280720107. Retrieved 2008-03-12. 
  17. ^ "Official 2009 NCAA Women's Final Four Records Book". NCAA. February 2009. pp. 182. http://www.ncaapublications.com/Uploads/PDF/2009_WFF_Records0d7a46e0-1e38-428d-8b72-6d7b2902af40.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-03. 

External links