ISU to Face Huskies in Minneapolis

AMES, Iowa ?Iowa State earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and will face Washington (18-12) in the first round of the tournament at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Cyclones earned a sixth seed in the Dallas Region, while North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in that regional. Iowa State will make its second NCAA appearance in the last three years and the Cyclones' eighth trip over the past 11 seasons, with all coming under the direction of head coach Bill Fennelly. The winner of the Iowa State-Washington game will play the winner of the Georgia (No. 3 seed) vs. Belmont (No. 14 seed) game.

"We are honored to be a six seed," head coach Bill Fennelly said. "We are ecstatic to be going to Minneapolis. We are facing a great team. This is a very special moment. Our kids have worked very hard and this is a culmination of all that hard work. They deserve to get all the attention that they receive right now."

Iowa State is 25-8 on the season and made it to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship game last Saturday against the 11^th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, where it fell for the first time in nine games, 67-60. The Cyclones defeated 12^th-seed Kansas State, fifth-seed Nebraska, and top-seeded and 13th-ranked Texas A&M to earn a spot in the title game. ISU has won nine out of its last 11 and finished in a tie for fourth place in the final Big 12 standings. Iowa State was one of six teams from the Big 12 Conference to earn a NCAA Tournament berth along with, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Texas A&M.

"It means a lot (to be chosen for the tournament)," senior Lyndsey Medders said. "It is ever player's dream. It is every senior's dream. It's (for) moments like these that you put on a uniform."

TICKET INFORMATION

A limited number of tickets are available from the Iowa State Athletics Ticket Office for the NCAA Women's Basketball first and second-round games in Minneapolis.

Members of the National Cyclone Club at the Directors, Victory or Captains level, should call the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at 515-294-1816 or toll free at 1-888-478-2925 to order tickets. Members may also stop at the ticket office in the Jacobson Building between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to place their ticket orders in person. A limit of four tickets per account may be ordered. Orders will be taken until Wednesday at noon.

All other fans should order tickets from the University of Minnesota at www.gophersports.com or 800-UGOPHER (800-846-7437) and there is no limit on the number of tickets that can be ordered.

Tickets purchased through the ISU Athletics Ticket Office are only for the sessions that Iowa State participates in. Fans who purchase first-round tickets will be charged for the second round only if the Cyclones advance. If Iowa State does not advance, fans will not be charged nor will tickets be available for the second round.