Women prepare for NCAA action

SEATTLE—They may only be 180 miles away from their home court at the Stott Center, but the Portland State women’s basketball team is a long way from home at the NCAA Tournament.

The team makes its debut appearance in the Division I-level tournament later tonight at the University of Washington’s Bank of America Arena, but has been in Seattle since Thursday in preparation for the milestone event.

Yesterday was the team’s media day and featured open and closed practices, player and coach interviews and a press conference in front of the NCAA banner.

“It’s surreal,” said junior guard-forward Kelly Marchant, describing the atmosphere of the tournament.

For Portland State, the road to the March Madness in Seattle began in Cheney, Wash., exactly one week ago. It was there that the Vikings claimed the Big Sky Tournament title with a victory over Montana State, and with it the conference’s automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament.

As the fifth seed in the six-team tournament, the Vikings were underdogs then and remain the underdogs today when they face ninth-ranked Texas A&M.


“It’s just exciting to have another week to play, and staying alive another week,” said senior guard Claire Faucher. “Having this opportunity and knowing that we are the obvious underdogs and playing with the mentality that we have nothing to lose here.”

“We did not just come all this way to say we went to the tournament. We are here now and we want to make some noise, and not only represent Portland State, but represent the Big Sky (Conference),” she said.

Tip-off for No. 15 Portland State versus No. 2 Texas A&M in round one of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship is scheduled for 5:06 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

—All photos by Aaron Leopold, Daily Vanguard