NCAA Tournament 2000 - Midwest Region: Cyclone warning

Midwest Region: Cyclone warning
From Coach's Edge

Louisiana Tech comes into the Midwest Regionals as the sentimental favorite, with legendary coach Leon Barmore making his last trip through the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Techsters have reached 10 NCAA Final Fours, but showed a vulnerability to the zone defense of Vanderbilt in the second round. Iowa State just happens to play a zone. Plus, the Cyclones are one of the most explosive offensive teams in the country and will have about 9,000 of the 10,000 fans in Kansas City.

But don't count out Old Dominion, which won convincingly over SMU to reach the Sweet 16 date with Iowa State. Many of the experts' favorite in this region is Penn State. Under Renee Portland, Penn State has always been successful, but has never been to the Final Four. With the leadership of seniors Helen Darling and Andrea Garner, this might be the year, but the Lady Lions have to get by Iowa State first.

Iowa State can score in bunches, and that will come in handy in key games this season. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Illinois was stifling the high-powered Cyclones offense when 6-foot-1 forward Desiree Francis came through in a big way. In a 90-second span, Francis nailed three 3-pointers to swing the momentum Iowa State's way and lead the Cyclones back to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Iowa State runs too many different offenses to count, but each one typically ends with a lay-up or 3-pointer. Here's how Francis got one of her looks.

ANIMATE THIS PLAY DIAGRAM WITH SHOCKWAVE
	(A) Iowa State likes a four-out, one-in look to isolate 6-4 Angie Welle (32) on the block. Although Iowa State is known for its ability to knock down 3-pointers, Welle is the team's leading scorer. (B) To start this play, point guard Stacy Frese (4) uses a ball screen from Desiree Francis (42).
	(C) Frese looks to feed Welle in the lane while (D) Megan Taylor (51) sets a backscreen for Francis. If Frese doesn't have the pass inside, she skips the pass to Francis. This is the play the Cyclones ran when Francis got her third 3-pointer and helped the Cyclones advance.


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