March 1.
And the operative phrase is pretty simple: survive and advance.
The RU women did just that as they eked out their first round game over Purdue, 62-60.
Changing the script from their last few games, the Knights (20-11) opened strong, taking the lead and opening a 15-8 margin after the first ten minutes. They shot a solid, if not spectacular, 46% from the field in the first half while holding the Boilermakers (18-13) to just under 39%.
The Boilers did come back in the second quarter, closing the gap to one point at intermission, 30-29.