C. VIVIAN STRINGER GETS 800TH VICTORY

Rutgers University women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer is back in the news again, but this time for achieving a rare feat.


Stringer joined Pat Summitt and Jody Conradt as the only women's basketball coaches in history to win 800 games as No. 4 Rutgers beat DePaul 60-46 on Wednesday night.

"No one is more respected than Pat and Jody," Stringer said. "To be mentioned in the same breath is humbling."

DePaul coach Doug Bruno had his entire team shake Stringer's hand during warmups, sensing the outcome would be historic. Bruno also coached DePaul when Summitt beat the Blue Demons for her 800th.

"Eight hundred isn't about a number. It's about the players from Cheney, Iowa, Rutgers and how special they were," said Stringer.

Essence Carson, the unofficial spokeswoman for the team in the wake of the Don Imus incident, had 20 points Wednesday to lead her team in scoring. Epiphanny Prince added 15. Rutgers (23-4, 13-1 Big East), moves into a tie with UConn atop the Conference.

Everyone in the crowd was given signs marking the 800th victory. With 30 seconds left they gave the Hall of Fame coach a standing ovation and chanted her initials. When the clock reached zero, Carson threw her coach the game ball.

"It was her ball, she deserved it," Carson said.

Afterward, each player gave Stringer a single red rose, which made her tear up.


Addressing the crowd, Stringer said: "I've been blessed with great players and coaches. Not only from the players that are here, but the players over the years. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I've been the most fortunate person in the world, because every day I wake up and I'm so excited to coach basketball."

DON IMUS BACK ON THE AIR DECEMBER 3RD

Confirmed: Imus-Citadel Pact A Done Deal

Back In Business

The ASSOCIATED PRESS has confirmed what has been widely speculated: DON IMUS will take over mornings at Talk WABC-A/NEW YORK, starting DECEMBER 3rd.

IMUS will return longtime news reporter CHARLES McCORD, and other members of his morning team -- although the CITADEL announcement did not specifically mention producer BERNARD MCGUIRK, who was fired along with Imus.

"We are ecstatic to bring DON IMUS back to morning radio," said WABC Pres./GM STEVE BORNEMAN. "DON's unique brand of humor, knowledge of the issues and ability to attract big-name guests is unparalleled. He is rested, fired up and ready to do great radio."

THE NEW YORK POST earlier reported that the five-year deal will pay IMUS $5-8 million annually, and will "more likely than not" include syndication to other CITADEL/ABC stations, starting with Talk KABC-A/LOS ANGELES.

A separate TV deal is in negotiations, LAURIA reports. IMUS will be replacing CURTIS SLIWA in mornings; SLIWA's co-host RON KUBY recently left the station. Ironically, the AP story noted that SLIWA and KUBY routinely beat IMUS in the mornings when he was on WFAN-A.

RUTGERS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM TIRED OF IMUS CONTROVERSY

RUTGERS women's basketball coach C. VIVIAN STRINGER says the team is "tired of" the DON IMUS controversy that followed the team's loss in the NCAA championship game this spring. "Why should I have to marry him, walk down the aisle?,” said STRINGER at the BIG EAST conference media day in NEW YORK THURSDAY. "Every time I’m in the spotlight and this team is in the spotlight, he gets a play. I mean, what is that? Who loses in this? Maybe what I’m asking for" -- recognition for the team's accomplishments on the court -- "is impossible."

Players from the SCARLET KNIGHTS squad said that they continue to get peppered with questions about the IMUS brouhaha, and CONNECTICUT coach GENO AURIEMMA said that he was disappointed that instead of using the incident to examine racial issues, "a bunch of kids had to go through something that, from a media standpoint, a scrutiny standpoint, that nobody should have to go through."