TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Women’s Conferences

Tournament play begins Thursday in the Big East and America East. Villanova and Rutgers, both NCAA Tournament teams in 2006, may need wins to keep their 2007 postseason hopes alive. For this week’s women’s conference tournament schedules …

AMERICA EAST
Quarterfinals
Nov. 1
#3 Hartford vs. #6 Binghamton
#4 Stony Brook vs. #5 Maine
Semifinals
Nov. 4
#1 New Hampshire vs. Stony Brook/Maine winner
#2 Boston Univ. vs. Hartford/ Binghamton winner
Final
Nov. 10 or 11 at top seed

BIG EAST
First Round
Nov. 1
#4N Villanova vs. #5A USF
#4A St. John’s vs. #5N Rutgers
Quarterfinals
Nov. 4
#1A Notre Dame vs. St. John’s/Rutgers winner
#2A Connecticut vs. #3N Georgetown
#2N Louisville vs. #3A Marquette
#1A West Virginia vs. Villanova/USF winner
Semifinals
Nov. 9 in Morgantown, W.Va.
Final
Nov. 9 in Morgantown, W.Va.

HORIZON LEAGUE
First Round
Oct. 30
Cleveland State 2 Youngstown State 1
Quarterfinals
Nov. 3
#1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. #8 Cleveland State
#2 Loyola, Ill. vs. #7 Wisconsin-Green Bay
#3 Wright State vs. #6 Detroit
#4 Butler vs. #5 Valparaiso
Semifinals
Nov. 9 at top seed
Final
Nov. 11 at top seed

MISSOURI VALLEY
Quarterfinals
Nov. 4
#3 Creighton vs. #6 Northern Iowa
#4 Drake vs. #5 Missouri State
Semifinals
Nov. 9 in Evansville, Ind.
#1 Illinois State vs. Drake/Missouri State winner
#2 Evansville vs. Creighton/Northern Iowa winner
Final
Nov. 11 in Evansville, Ind.