AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State women’s basketball team has been selected to play in its 14thNCAA Tournament, which includes seven appearances in a row. The fifth-seeded Cyclones will travel to Spokane, Wash. to face 12-seed Gonzaga in the first round Saturday, March 23 at 3:15 p.m. (CDT). The winning team will advance to play the winner of the other game, Georgia-Montana, on Monday.
Iowa State (23-8) is one of just 14 teams nationally to earn NCAA Tournament berths seven years in a row. All 14 of the Cyclones’ tournament bids have come under the direction of Bill Fennelly.
Gonzaga (27-5) has won 15 games in a row after capturing the title of the West Coast Conference Championship. The Bulldogs, who have advanced to the last five NCAA Tournaments, are led by West Coast Conference Player of the Year and Kansas State transfer Taelor Karr, a 5-8 senior guard. Karr was second on the team in scoring with 10.8 points, while shooting 43 percent from behind the arc.
Haiden Palmer, a 5-8 guard who averages 12.4 points, also earned All-West Coast Conference honors for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are ninth nationally in turnover margin (5.91) and 13th in three-point field goal percentage (36.1).
Gonzaga is coached by West Coast Conference Coach of the Year Kelly Graves, who is in his 13th season at the helm of the program.
