Rutgers had enough problems looming in the Cleveland region with top seed North Carolina and infuriated Tennessee as the #2. Dartmouth was supposed to be the easy game, though no coach will ever claim to take a game for granted.

Dartmouth made sure that the Scarlet Knights couldn't.

Angie Soriaga put in 23 points, including two near-miraculous three-pointers, to lead all scorers, and Big Green nearly staged a stunning upset in Trenton before falling 63-58. Coach Stringer attributed Dartmouth's run to the lack of pressure through the game. Cappie Pondexter had 21 for the Scarlet Knights, and Matee Ajavon added 19, but it was Essence Carson's drawn charge that saved the game for Rutgers.

Trenton's noisy, scarlet-clad crowd included New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, and the high turnout left Sovereign Bank Arena and its management hopeful that future games would also be held there.