WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Iowa State nabs No. 4 seed in NCAA Tournament
Iowa State players react after a play during their loss to Baylor in the semi-finals of the Big 12 Championship. Photo: Shing Kai Chan/Iowa State Daily
March 16, 2009
The ISU women’s basketball team is heading to Bowling Green, Ky. as a No. 4 seed in the Berkeley Region of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
The Cyclones play the No. 13 seeded East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at 5 p.m. Sunday in the first round on ESPN 2.
“We’ve been through this enough that we know you’d better be ready for the first one,” said ISU coach Bill Fennelly in a press release. “It’s an honor to be in the tournament and we’re ready to go and get playing.”
The Buccaneers finished the regular season at 20-10 overall and in second place with a 16-4 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but conference tournament. East Tennessee State scores an average 71 points per game and allows an average of 66.4. Iowa State in comparison scores 63.6 points per game and allows 53.8.
“We’re excited that we’re a four seed, that’s a great seed for us,” said junior guard Alison Lacey in a press release. “Now we’re going to have to see what Coach Fennelly comes up with for a scouting report and see what we have to do tomorrow in practice.”
The winner plays the winner of No. 5 Tenessee (22-10) and No. 12 Ball State (25-8) on Tuesday, March 24. Tennessee won both the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships, albeit with now graduated Candace Parker. Tennessee hasn’t been as dominant with out Parker, but is coached by Pat Summitt, who has won eight NCAA Championships and is the winningest coach in college basketball history.
Duke (26-5) is the No. 1 seed in the Berkeley region, and could be the team waiting for the winner of the Bowling Green regional in the Sweet Sixteen. Stanford is the No. 2 seed. The Blue Devils, along with Tennessee and Connecticut are the only three teams to have gone to the Sweet Sixteen 11 consecutive years.
The Big 12 has six teams in the tournament. No. 1 Oklahoma in the Oklahoma City region, No. 2 Texas A&M in the Trenton, N.J. region, No. 2 Baylor and No. 5 Kansas State in the Raleigh, N.C. region, and No. 4 Iowa State and No. 6 Texas in the Berkeley, Calif. region.
“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of a lot of teams that have done this,” Fennelly said. “It’s just as exciting every year. Anytime we see our name go up there it’s special. This never gets old. If you are a basketball fan, this is the best day of the year. It’s better then Christmas.”
