Buckeyes draw Sacred Heart

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ohio State will hit the road — traveling all of about 3 miles — to play in the women’s NCAA tournament.

The 27-5 Buckeyes were regular-season and tournament champions of the Big Ten. They’re the host school at the downtown Nationwide Arena for first- and second-round games Saturday and March 23. They play Northeast Conference champion Sacred Heart in the first round.

Sacred Heart was 25-7 and is the 14th seed.

Despite another banner season, the Buckeyes will be trying to end a series of NCAA nightmares. They have been eliminated in the first round the last two seasons, and the year before that they were a No. 1 yet still lost in the second round.

They’re playing in their 18th NCAA tournament.

Connecticut’s quest for the fifth perfect season in NCAA history will also begin at home.

The undefeated Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed will open against Vermont at Storrs.

Nine teams have entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten; only four have emerged unscathed. UConn and coach Geno Auriemma were the last in 2002.

Auriemma said he’s not worried about the bulls-eye on his team’s back.

“We don’t care who we play. We don’t care where we play,” Auriemma said. “We don’t care what time we play. I’m anxious to get started, and I know our players are as well.”

Oklahoma, Maryland, and Duke earned the other three No. 1 seeds. The Sooners are in the Oklahoma City regional, the Terrapins are headed to Raleigh and the Blue Devils will make the cross-country trek to Berkeley.

Tennessee also extended its run as the only team to make every NCAA tournament but earned a No. 5 — its lowest seed ever, creating a tough road to a third consecutive title.

The Final Four is scheduled for the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 5 and 7. When the city last hosted the championship in 2001, UConn lost in the semifinals.

The Huskies (33-0), who have run through their opponents this season winning by an average of 31 points, will be looking for their sixth national championship. A potential second-round opponent for UConn is former assistant coach Tonya Cardoza and Temple. The Owls must beat Florida to meet the Huskies.

One team UConn won’t play until at least the Final Four would be Tennessee.

Coach Pat Summitt said she was not surprised her 22-10 team received a No. 5 seed. The team also took 10 losses into the tournament in 1997, grabbing a No. 3 seed and winning the title.

Tennessee’s previous lowest seed was fourth — in 1986, and the team has advanced to the regional semis every season.

“For once in a long time, we’re not the top dog. We’re the underdog,” Summitt said. “They have nothing really to lose and everything to gain in laying it all on the line.”