Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
March 1, 2002

Hilton is site of hoops regional

by Anne Krapfl
One of the teams in the women's NCAA Final Four basketball tournament will arrive in San Antonio, Texas, later this month via Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State is hosting the Midwest Regional, one of four regional events March 23 and 25.

Without knowing whether the Iowa State Cyclones will be playing, nearly 6,700 people have purchased tickets already, according to Julie Manning, ISU women's golf coach and tournament manager. The university's commitment to the NCAA is 8,000 tickets sold, she said, but the goal is a sell-out. (About 13,800 tickets are sellable, once media and VIP seats are taken out of the mix).

"If Iowa State is in it, we know we won't have any problems selling tickets," Manning said. "People are in a holding pattern right now and we understand that.

"But whether the Cyclones are playing or not, we'll have four outstanding teams playing. We believe fans in Iowa have an appreciation for this level of play," she said.

Everyone will know more after March 10. That's "selection Sunday" to basketball fans, when the 32 team pairings and 16 playing sites for both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments are announced. In the women's tournament, the top 16 teams nationally typically host the first and second rounds. Coach Bill Fennelly's Cyclone women were ranked 10th in both this week's poll of Associated Press sportswriters and the national coaches poll.

So, while the Cyclones' chances of hosting the first and second rounds March 15-18 look good, the trick will be to be placed in the Midwest Regional, for the chance to play as many as four games on their home court in front of a supportive crowd.

Last year, Iowa State set an NCAA women's record for a first-round game with a crowd of 11,462. The second-round crowd of 11,756 at Hilton was second best in history.

Manning, who heads a 39-member tournament steering committee, noted that team practices on Friday, March 22, will be open to the public. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., each of the four teams will practice for an hour in Hilton. There is no admission for the practice sessions.

Midwest Regional tickets may be purchased online from the Cyclone athletics Web site, http://cyclones.fansonly.com, or at the Jacobson Building ticket office. All-session tickets are $40 for adults and $22 for students and children. Single-session tickets are $25 and available game day only.