Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCF on January 31, 2026 , Win , 65, to, 52
Final
Women's Basketball
65
UCF
52
Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones To Face Lehigh As No. 4 Seed In NCAA Tourney
03.15.2010 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa ? The Iowa State women's basketball team will face Lehigh at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Hilton Coliseum in the NCAA Championship first round. The Cyclones were chosen as a No. 4 seed in the Dayton Regional, while Lehigh is a No. 13 seed. The No. 5 seed Virginia will face the No. 12 seed Green Bay in the first game of the night at 6 p.m. Sunday at Hilton.
“They (Lehigh) look on paper a lot like us,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “They don't score a lot, are a good defensive team, shoot the three a lot, and we're obviously scrambling like crazy to find out. You win 29 games, and you are doing something right. We'll spend a long night tonight trying to get information and luckily we don't play until Sunday. The challenge of playing someone new is always fun. We'll do the best we can to get ready.”
The winners of the NCAA first-round games in Ames will face off at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum. The first-round games at Hilton will be televised by ESPN2. The games will be televised in a whiparound coverage across the nation with ESPN2 showing the best available action at any given point in time. The Iowa State game should be shown in its entirety in the state of Iowa, but fans should check ESPN.com for coverage details later this week.
Iowa State is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, and its 11th in school history. All 11 ISU NCAA bids have come in head coach Bill Fennelly's tenure. The Cyclones are playing host to the NCAA first and second rounds for the seventh time overall, and the sixth time at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State also hosted the 2002 NCAA Women's Championship Midwest Regional at Hilton, as well as the 2008 first and second rounds at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
“The crowd at Hilton is one of the best in the country,” Fennelly said. “They are very smart and very loyal, and you add the adrenaline, the enthusiasm and the energy of the NCAA Tournament, and everything goes up to a whole new level. We are honored that the NCAA committee allowed it to come to Hilton. This will be a great event for all the teams who are here and for our fans. Our seniors are going to be able to brag that they went to four NCAA Tournaments and that is special.”
Tickets are available for purchase at cyclones.com or ticketmaster.com. They may also be purchased by phone at 1-888-478-2925 or in person at the Iowa State Athletics Ticket Office during regular office hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All-session tickets are $27 for adults and $22 for youth. Single-session tickets will go on sale Tuesday at 8 a.m. and cost $16 for adults and $11 for youth.
Parking for the NCAA first and second rounds will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cyclone Club parking permits will not be valid for this NCAA event.
Iowa State earned a No. 4 seed for the second consecutive season and has been picked as a fourth seed or better seven times in school history. ISU is 14-10 in NCAA Championship games and has advanced to the Sweet 16 four times and the Elite Eight twice, including last season.
The Cyclones are 23-7 this season and 11-5 in the Big 12, which was good for a second-place finish. Iowa State has been led by All-Big 12 First-Team pick Alison Lacey. The senior point guard has posted 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game this season. She is the first player in school history and the seventh player in the history of the Big 12 to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a career. She has missed the last three games with pneumonia, but is expected to return to the court for ISU's NCAA first-round contest.
Lehigh is 29-3 this season and went 13-1 in the Patriot League, to share the conference title with American. Lehigh defeated American in the conference tournament championship to earn the Patriot League's NCAA automatic berth. The Mountain Hawks have averaged 65.8 points per game, while holding opponents to a 54.5 scoring average. Three players are averaging double figures for Lehigh.
Virginia enters the tournament with a 21-9 overall record and a 9-5 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers fell to NC State in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. Green Bay enters the postseason with a 27-4 overall mark this season. The Phoenix went 15-3 to claim the Horizon League regular-season title, but fell in the tournament semifinal game to Cleveland State, 83-75.
Iowa State is one of seven Big 12 teams to be picked to the NCAA Championship field. Nebraska was chosen as the No. 1 seed in the Kansas City Regional. Texas A&M was chosen as a No. 2 seed and Oklahoma is a No. 3. Baylor and Oklahoma State joined Iowa State as a No. 4 seed, while Texas was a No. 6.
Players Mentioned
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Saturday, March 21
Syracuse Previews Iowa State (NCAA Tournament First Round)
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Iowa State Previews Syracuse (NCAA Tournament First Round)
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Bill Fennelly and Audi Crooks Talk NCAA Selection Show
Sunday, March 15
