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SFPA's Christin Black (r) & Beth Swink<br>(l) sandwich<br> Minnesota's Jamie Broback<br>(AP/Ann Heisenfelt)
SFPA's Christin Black (r) & Beth Swink
(l) sandwich
Minnesota's Jamie Broback
(AP/Ann Heisenfelt)

Minnesota Tops St. Francis (PA) in NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

The Red Flash were down by seven points at halftime.

3/19/2005


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MINNEAPOLIS, MN  --  Saint Francis trailed by just seven points at the intermission, but struggled offensively in the second half, managing just 16 points in a 64-33 setback to the University of Minnesota in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday evening at Williams Arena.

Senior Christin Black was the lone Red Flash player in double figures with 13 points.  Beth Swink added seven points and seven rebounds to close her standout career and Amber Hein chipped in six points in the setback.

The Gophers’ Jamie Broback led all scorers with 17 points.  Janel McCarville added 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks for Minnesota, which improved to 14-2 at home this season.

SFPA's Christin Black (AP/Andy King)Minnesota carried a 24-17 advantage into the locker room at the intermission behind six points from McCarville.  The Gophers bolted out to a 14-5 lead to open the game, before the Flash outscored the number three seed, 12-10, over the final 10 minutes of the stanza.  A three-pointer by Hein with 9:40 remaining started the SFU rally.  Black scored six points in the first half for the Flash and Hein chipped in five before the break.  The 24 points were the fourth-fewest scored by Minnesota in the first half of a game this season.

Minnesota found its offensive rhythm early in the second half, mounting a 12-2 run out of the break to push out to a 36-19 lead.  Senior Regina Schlichter was called for an intentional foul with 17:42 remaining and Broback sank two free throws before McCarville canned a six-foot turn-around jumper for a four-point possession.  McCarville then found Broback for a fast-break lay-up to extend the Gophers’ lead to 17 points.

The loss snapped a 14-game winning streak for SFU and marked the second straight season that the Flash closed their season against a Big 10 opponent.  Saint Francis fell to Purdue, 78-59, in the opening round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

Saint Francis (21-10) made just four field goals in the second half, shooting 20.0 percent (four-for-20) from the floor after the intermission.  The 33 points were the fewest scored by SFU this season.

Black sank four-of-nine shots from the field and four-of-five from the free throw line.  Swink struggled on the offensive end while battling McCarville, sinking three-of-17 shots from the field.

Minnesota (25-7) doubled up SFU on the boards, 40-20, and forced 18 Red Flash turnovers.  The Gophers defense held the Flash to 25.6 percent shooting (11-for-43) from the field.

Swink closed her brilliant career ranked second all-time in the Northeast Conference and at the University with 2,127 points.  She averaged 15.7 points in four career NCAA Tournament games.

Saint Francis, making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last 10 seasons, recorded its third consecutive 20-win season.  The Flash’s number 14 seed matched their best seed in nine trips to the Big Dance.