West Chester University Women's Basketball Game Notes - NCAA
2012 NCAA Atlantic Regional Homepage
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – There is at least one more game in senior guard Allison Hostetter’s college career. That prospect was not lost on her when she was huddled around a computer Sunday night waiting for the news.
“I was at a family party last night, and I had no appetite,” Hostetter explained. “I just kept staring at the time thinking, ‘Is it 10 o’clock, yet?’”
West Chester is the third game on Friday at 6 p.m. Tickets to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball tournament are sold per session and will include the Bloomsburg vs. Indiana (Pa.) game at 8 p.m. Prices are $7 for adults and $3 for students with ID and senior citizens. No advance sale of tickets is available. All tickets can be purchased the night of the game.
“(Making the NCAA Tournament) has definitely been a goal of mine over the last four years – five if you count my red-shirt season,” Hostetter said. “We are hoping we can go out there and prove something. We will definitely have to come prepared. (Edinboro) is a great team. They are the No. 5 team in the country.”
Helping the Golden Rams prepare is assistant coach Kiera Wooden, who was a member of the last West Chester squad to reach the NCAA Tournament. She believes that this team is ready for the challenge ahead and that there is nothing the Golden Rams should not be read for.
“The most important thing is that they play together as a team and do not get overwhelmed by the atmosphere surrounding the game,” Wooden said. “It’s just two good teams playing a basketball game against one another.”
West Chester is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament – all three previous trips have come under current head coach Deirdre Kane’s watch. The Rams are 1-3 in their previous three trips to the dance. Wooden’s 2003 club defeated Pfeiffer College in the first round, before a loss to regional host California (Pa.) knocked them out of the tournament.
“Coach Kane always says that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know,” Wooden continued. “So, initially, I was hoping to play somebody different. But, we just played (Edinboro), so I think we will know what to expect. At least we will know what we are dealing with.”
The second session of games on Friday is an exact rematch of the PSAC semifinals from last Friday. Edinboro vs. West Chester will be followed by Bloomsburg vs. IUP. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference got five of the eight bids in the Atlantic Region.
“We are all very excited to have this chance,” junior guard Meghan Kerrigan said. “It’s a great opportunity for our program. We are ready for this and have worked all season for it. (Edinboro) is a great team, which plays with a lot of intensity. We have to be ready for that.”
