Benedetti, St. Francis draw No. 1 UConn in NCAA tournament debut

Canton’s Sarah Benedetti and her St. Francis Brooklyn teammates will face defending national champion Connecticut (32-1) in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament on Saturday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

St. Francis-Brooklyn (12-18), the No. 16 seed in the Albany Region, earned its invitation to the tournament with three straight wins on the road to claim the Northeast Conference title on Sunday. Benedetti, a senior forward, was the tournament’s most valuable player.

No. 8 Rutgers and No. 9 Seton Hall will play Saturday at 6:30 p.m. prior to the UConn and St. Francis contest. The winners of Saturday’s games advance to a second round game on Monday, March 23 in Storrs at a time to be announced. This is St. Francis’ first-ever trip to the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are the top seed in the Albany Region and the overall tournament.

Tickets are priced per session at $20 for adults and $15 for youth and seniors. Tickets can also be purchased at the UConn Athletic Ticket Office in Storrs or by calling 1-877-AT-UCONN between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Parking will be available in the North and South Garages for $5 per car — payable upon entry to the garage.