Louisiana Tech

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Uncertainty is here at the Women's Final Four, mainly because Tennessee isn't.Last year in Kansas City, Mo., a Volunteers coronation lay beneath the paper-thin posturing from the other three teams, an atmosphere that might have been here this week if Tennessee had not fallen short while seeking its fourth straight title.But until Georgia (27-6) and Duke (28-6) start the festivities today at 7 p.m. EST -- followed by Purdue (32-1) and Louisiana Tech (30-2) -- and maybe until the end of Sunday's championship game, no one will have any idea.

Regional semifinalsEast RegionalTomorrow at Greensboro, N.C.Old Dominion (28-3) vs. Duke (26-6), 11: 30 a.m.Tennessee (30-2) vs. Virginia Tech (28-2) *Mideast RegionalTomorrow at CincinnatiConnecticut (29-4) vs. Iowa St. (24-7), noonClemson (26-5) vs. Georgia (25-6) *Midwest RegionalTomorrow at Normal, Ill.North Carolina (28-7) vs. Purdue (30-1), 8 p.m.Rutgers (28-5) vs. Texas Tech (30-3) *West RegionalTomorrow at Los AngelesLouisiana Tech (28-2) vs. LSU (25-7), 10 p.m.Colorado State (33-2)

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Here's all you may need to know about the remainder of the women's NCAA tournament:Pat Summitt, coach of three-time defending champion Tennessee, said yesterday that if her Lady Vols are at their peak, it will be time to order that fourth championship trophy."

Final FourAt San Jose, Calif.Friday's semifinalsGeorgia (27-6) vs.Duke (28-6), 7 p.m.Louisiana Tech (30-2) vs.Purdue (32-1), 9: 30 p.m.Sunday's title gameSemifinal winners, 9 p.m. TV: ESPNPub Date: 3/24/99

East1. ConnecticutLast season: 29-5, lost to Iowa State in Mideast semifinalsSkinny: Huskies' youth might be the only thing keeping them from a title.2. GeorgiaLast season: 27-7, lost to Duke in Final FourSkinny: Coco and Kelly Miller are best sister duo since Virginia's Burge twins.3. Penn StateLast season: 22-8, lost to Louisiana Tech in West second roundSkinny: Guard Helen Darling and center Andrea Garner give Nittany Lions a nice inside-outside duo.4. Virginia TechLast season: 28-3, lost to Tennessee in East semifinals.

By the numbers3 -- Jerseys that Rutgers forward Rob Hodgson wore during his team's 74-71 victory over No. 20 Syracuse on Monday night. The changes occurred after a cut opened over Hodgson's right eye and continued to bleed throughout the game.5 -- Overtime games played between Pac-10 teams this season, including a triple-overtime game between Washington State and Oregon.12 -- Years since Auburn entered a game against Kentucky with a higher national ranking than the Wildcats. It didn't help.

There are those who believe that there really isn't much in the way of drama or surprise in the NCAA women's tournament each year, as the same heavy-hitters get the same high seeds and trample their way through the brackets toward the Final Four.And, with top-ranked and unbeaten Tennessee entering this year's tournament as a heavy favorite to capture its third straight title, the suspense may already be gone from this year's march to Kansas City, Mo., the site of the national semifinals.But the nine-member tournament selection committee has taken care of the surprise element, with some rather intriguing seeding decisions.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- So, what do they do for an encore?The Tennessee women's basketball team completed arguably the greatest season in the history of the sport with a convincing 93-75 win over Louisiana Tech last night that not only netted the Lady Vols an unprecedented third straight title, but capped an unbeaten season.Despite something of a second-half lull, in which the Lady Techsters pared a 23-point deficit down to 15, Tennessee (39-0) was never serious challenged in its quest for perfection.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - No one is surprised that Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt is working in tonight's ++ NCAA championship game, her eighth.After all, she does have a team- unbeaten in 38 games this year and 44 overall-considered by many to be the greatest of all time.But there shouldn't be much of shock that Louisiana Tech's Leon Barmore will be patrolling the other bench. The two coaches have circled each other at the top of women's basketball for two decades, and these are the only two schools to reach all 17 NCAA tournaments.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- So, what do they do for an encore?The Tennessee women's basketball team completed arguably the greatest season in the history of the sport with a convincing 93-75 win over Louisiana Tech last night that not only netted the Lady Vols an unprecedented third straight title, but capped an unbeaten season.Despite something of a second-half lull, in which the Lady Techsters pared a 23-point deficit down to 15, Tennessee (39-0) was never serious challenged in its quest for perfection.

All week, as Navy's players accepted pats on the back and compliments for the way they played in a close loss at Ohio State last weekend, coach Ken Niumatalolo worried that the Midshipmen might not have the proper mentality when their game against Louisiana Tech began Saturday afternoon. What he saw in the first six minutes of the game didn't make him feel better. The Bulldogs put together a long touchdown drive, Navy went three and out, and then Louisiana Tech junior Phillip Livas returned a punt 85 yards for another touchdown.

Louisiana Tech (0-1) at Navy (0-1) When: : 3:30 p.m.TV: : CBS College Sports RADIO: : 1090 AM, 1430 AM LINE: : Navy by 7 1/2 SERIES: : First meeting LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1: : Both teams lost their season openers on the road to Bowl Championship Series teams: Navy was edged by Ohio State, 31-27, and Louisiana Tech fell to Auburn, 37-13. The Bulldogs gave up 556 yards of total offense, including 301 on the ground, to the Tigers. But Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo was impressed with Louisiana Tech's team speed; there wasn't a big disparity between its players and Auburn's, he said.

Who knew that all those years that Leon Barmore was guiding the Louisiana Tech women's basketball team to Final Four appearances and national championships that he was leading a mid-major? Barmore, a 2003 inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame, always figured the Lady Techsters, who won two NCAA championships, made five title-game appearances and went to nine Final Fours during his 20-year tenure, were just as major as the Texas, Tennessee and LSU teams they were playing and beating. "I don't even know where these words originate, mid-major and major and all that," said Barmore, who retired in 2002 with an .869 winning percentage.

1.OHIO STATE DEF. NO. 14 IOWA, 38-17 Record: 5-0Next: vs. Bowling Green, Saturday 2.AUBURN DEF. SOUTH CAROLINA, 24-17 Record: 5-0Next: vs. Arkansas, Saturday 3.USC DEF. WASHINGTON STATE, 28-22 Record: 4-0Next: vs. Washington, Saturday 4.WEST VIRGINIA IDLE Record: 4-0Next: at Mississippi State, Oct. 7 5.FLORIDA DEF. ALABAMA, 28-13 Record: 5-0Next: vs. No. 9 LSU, Saturday 6.MICHIGAN DEF. MINNESOTA, 28-14 Record: 5-0Next: vs. Michigan State, Saturday...

East Regional First round Saturday At Santa Barbara, Calif. Houston 62, Wisconsin-Green Bay 47 UC Santa Barbara 76, Colorado 49 Sunday At Blacksburg, Va. Virginia Tech 89, Iowa 76 Penn State 79, Hampton 42 At South Bend, Ind. Middle Tennessee 67, North Carolina 62 Notre Dame 69, Southwest Missouri State 65, OT At Bridgeport, Conn. Auburn 79, North Carolina State 59 Connecticut 91, Pennsylvania 55 Second round Yesterday At Santa Barbara, Calif. UC Santa Barbara 56, Houston 52 Today At Bridgeport, Conn.

Coaching is certainly in Jack Bicknell III's genes, but are last-second comebacks, too? In his fifth season as head coach at Louisiana Tech, Bicknell has already been a part of some huge upsets - and miraculous comebacks. In Bicknell's first year, the Bulldogs beat Alabama by a point in Tuscaloosa. Last season, Louisiana Tech came from 18 points down in the second half to beat Oklahoma State in Shreveport. Saturday's 20-19 victory over Michigan State was another game that evoked memories for Bicknell of a game played nearly two decades ago. That was Boston College's miracle win at Miami in 1984, when Bicknell was Doug Flutie's center and his dad, Cowboy Jack, was coaching the Eagles.

Women's NCAA results, schedule East Regional First round Boston College 73, Old Dominion 72 Vanderbilt 54, Liberty 44 Virginia Tech 61, Georgia Tech 59 Purdue 66, Valparaiso 51 Connecticut 91, Boston University 44 Texas Christian 50, Michigan State 47 Notre Dame 59, Arizona 47 Kansas State 79, Harvard 69 Second round Boston College 86, Vanderbilt 85, OT Purdue 80, Virginia Tech 62 Connecticut 81, Texas Christian 66 Notre Dame 59, Kansas State 53...

Jason Olford Position: Defensive back College: Louisiana Tech Who he is: This rookie free agent was a two-year standout at Louisiana Tech. He had 86 tackles (71 solo) and nine interceptions in two years. His average of 0.5 interceptions a game ranked 15th nationally. Favorite football moment: "We played at Louisiana State and the game was on the line, and I intercepted a pass and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown. It ended the other team's drive and won the game for us." Ravens mentors: "Matt Stover, James Trapp, Chris McAlister - I look up to those guys.

Humanitarian Bowl Louisiana Tech (7-4) vs. Clemson (6-5) Site: Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho TV: ESPN, 12:30 p.m. Line:Clemson by 6 1/2 Key matchup: Louisiana Tech QB Luke McCown vs. Clemson's secondary. McCown, a sophomore, doesn't get much national publicity, but he's a good fit for the Bulldogs' spread-the-field passing attack. He averages 303.4 passing yards - with 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions - and will have success against a mediocre Clemson secondary (21 TDs allowed, just 10 INTs)

East regional First round Friday at Athens, Ga. Wisconsin (18-9) vs. Missouri (20-9), 7:07 p.m. Georgia (26-5) vs. Liberty (18-11), 30 minutes after previous game at Raleigh, N.C. Villanova (21-8) vs. Drake (23-6), 5 p.m. North Carolina State (20-10) vs. Delaware (26-4), 30 minutes after previous game Saturday at Storrs, Conn. Connecticut (28-2) vs. Long Island University (16-14), 7:05 p.m. Maryland (17-11) vs. Colorado State (24-6), 30 minutes after previous game at Ruston, La. Penn State (19-9)