By Ajay Riding
The Collegian

You can only feel it when you̢۪re there.

It̢۪s not on television. It̢۪s not on the Internet. You have to be in the arena to get the full feeling of March Madness.

Fresno State had the rare opportunity to host a magical event — the NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional Finals this past weekend.

Those who were there saw some great basketball, but many local people didn̢۪t take advantage of the opportunity. The Save Mart Center holds more than 15,000 people, but Fresno State Associate Athletic Director Paul Ladwig said the tournament drew crowds of 3,000 to 3,700.

One fan who traveled across the country was Jeff Thomas. Thomas, 47, is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Thomas, a parent of one of the players, has been to other Regional Rounds of NCAA Tournaments.

“The Save Mart Center is a very nice facility,” Thomas said. “You would always like to see more people here, but it’s not a bad crowd.”

This isn̢۪t the first time the Save Mart Center has hosted games from the 64-team tournament that crowns the NCAA Women̢۪s Division I national champion.

In 2005, March Madness came to Fresno, where Stanford and Arizona State picked up first-round wins. This time around, Fresno got the chance to host the quarterfinals and see a Final Four team that will continue competing for its chance at history. This year, Louisiana State University easily defeated the University of Connecticut to advance to the Final Four.

The scene couldn’t have been scripted better: A legendary coach leading his storied program against the underdog team amidst national controversy without its head coach. Both teams had traveled more than 1,500 miles and knew all of their training would come down to one “do or die” game.

The cameras were rolling, the bands were battling and the cheerleaders were tumbling . The anticipation was building before tip off.

But you can only feel it if you̢۪re there.

The stands were filled with Fresno natives, cross-country travelers and numerous media. Each team had a following of more than 150 fans. One of those fans was a dedicated fan who had followed her team for nine years.

Helen Dyer, 62, from Baton Rouge, La., was part of LSU’s cheering section. Dressed in yellow and purple like her fellow LSU fans. Their attire and attitude brought a taste of upper-echelon basketball to Fresno.

“Our accommodations were good here, the food was delicious and the people were so nice,” Dyer said.

Fresno State junior Chris Rogstad, 25, said some of the visiting fans made an impression.

“The fans brought really good energy.”

Rogstad said a lot of things added to the atmosphere in the arena. “One of the bands was really enthusiastic and wild,” Rogstad said.
“They kept everyone into the action and really added energy to the crowd.”

The band was rocking the house and most importantly, the players on the floor felt it from the crowd. Erica White, LSU’s junior starting guard competed in her third quarterfinal game of her career.

“The fans were great, and we were really able to feed off them,” White said. “Teams that haven’t been in the tournament are usually looking for a town that has a lot of excitement. Not to say that Fresno doesn’t, but this was just a peaceful trip for us.”

Everyone inside the arena seemed to feel it a little bit. Everyone knew what was at stake, and the “it” everyone felt was undeniable.

Ladwig said hosting the tournament has been a success, “Did we make budget, yes. Did we make projections, yes.”

The Save Mart Center may or may not have the opportunity to host more tournaments in the future, but if it does, know that you can only feel it when you̢۪re there.