TRENTON - It really didn't matter what defense TCU used last night, because the story of the night was the Rutgers offense.
And it was about time.
With TCU's reputation of using variations of a zone defense against a Rutgers women's basketball team with a general distaste for that set-up, the third-seeded Scarlet Knights found a way to handle the pressure in a long-awaited breakout performance.
They also managed to piece together their season-high scoring output in the process, to pick up the resounding 82-48 win over the 11th-seeded Horned Frogs at Sovereign Bank Arena to advance to their second straight Sweet 16.
"It's always nice to see the fruits of your labors being realized," said Stringer, who came away with the 750th win in the 1,000th game of her coaching career last night. "Yes, we had a couple of games where we were a little rusty and that was reason for concern because it seemed like we were dodging bullets.
"To see them all put it together was special. There's no better time than now."
Usually more concerned with making the stop, the No. 9 Knights (27-4) had offense on the brain last night, shooting 65 percent on the night to overcome a short-lived TCU lead early in the ballgame.
Senior guard Cappie Pondexter led Rutgers with 24 points - including 5-of-6 shooting from three-point land - as all five starters found their way into double figures for RU.
"I'm not surprised at all," Pondexter said. "I know what this team is capable of on any given night and as long as we play free I'm not worried at all."
The Horned Frogs (19-12) had used their fast-paced style of play to jump out to an 8-2 lead with two and a half minutes gone by in the first half before the RU floodgates opened.
Rutgers built up its first-half lead and took a 41-22 lead into the locker room and continued the massacre after the break.
Pondexter netted the team's first 10 points of the second, and a Michelle Campbell lay-up off a Matee Ajavon steal gave RU a 29-point lead early in the second half.
With just over a minute to play, Courtney Locke made her first trip to the foul line this season and hit both to bring RU's total to 80 to tie the season-high.
The Knights then surpassed that mark with a Mariota Theodoris bucket to just beat the buzzer and seal it up.
Carson - who has struggled on the offensive end for RU lately - shot 7-of-12 for 14 points.
"Last game was a real reality check, a close call in the waning seconds," Carson said. "To have seeds such as that to hang around is something that made us realize it's time to step our game up. It's tournament time."
Ajavon showed off her skills at the point, registering a career-high 13 assists that broke the Sovereign Bank Arena record.
After Stringer plucked her starters one by one in the final minutes, the coach offered high-fives for all. It was the first time in quite a while that the coach has seemed satisfied, let alone celebratory.
"I felt good today," Stringer said. "It was good to see them smile, they worked hard and there's nothing more fitting than that."
The Horned Frogs played the game without their leading scorer Natasha Lacy who was out for personal reasons, as second leading-scorer Adrianne Ross (13 ppg) was one of three TCU players with 10 points.
The Scarlet Knights will get an opportunity for revenge next weekend when they take on Tennessee in the Sweet 16 in Cleveland.
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