Piscataway, N.J. ? In the unlikely event the Rutgers women’s basketball team loses its focus at the Final Four, it probably won’t be due to outside distractions.

Coach C. Vivian Stringer has ensured that by maintaining her no-cell phone policy for the trip to Cleveland. Her players will gladly suffer the inconvenience as they prepare to play LSU in the school’s first Final Four appearance since 2000.

“The taking away of the phones is definitely something she enjoys,” guard Essence Carson said with a laugh Thursday as the team boarded a bus for Newark Liberty International Airport.

“She’s done it every year I’ve been here, especially for the Big East tournament and the NCAA Tournament,” Carson said. “It’s definitely been working. We’re keeping our ears shut and just looking straight ahead.”

The Scarlet Knights (26-8) are considered the outsider in a Final Four, but that is largely because of their slow start to the season, when they lost four of their first six games.