By ROBERT CESSNA
SEATTLE -- Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair might be a little jealous.
The Portland State Vikings will make their first NCAA tournament appearance only 147 miles from campus against the ninth-ranked Aggies at 7:06 p.m. Saturday at Seattle's Bank of America Arena.
Portland State (18-14) defeated Montana State in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference tournament to earn an automatic berth to the Big Dance. The Vikings anticipated being a No. 16 seed in the Minneapolis Region and facing top-seeded Nebraska, but they caught a break.
"We are very excited with the fact that we get to stay in the area," Portland third-year head coach Sherri Murrell said. "We have half of our roster from the state of Washington and now we get to go up to Seattle and have a lot of fans join us and get to play in front of a lot of family members. To be able to stay regionally is huge for us."
The players celebrated Monday night when ESPN announced that the Vikings would be playing the Aggies just down Interstate 5 instead of heading to the Midwest.
"It was kind of an overwhelming excitement when I saw our name up there on the screen," said Portland State senior point guard Claire Faucher. "It's nice that we don't have to face a No. 1 seed. A No. 2 is obviously very good as well, but the fact that the other team doesn't have a No. 1 in front of their name gives us a little more confidence. Texas A&M will be a big challenge for us and we are looking forward to a good game."
Blair realizes the kind of excitement that can be generated by playing at home or close to home. That's why he has been lobbying for the Aggies to host NCAA tournament first- and second-round games.
"I think we're a Top 10 team and program now," Blair said. "I think we really will be a Top 10 program when we host a first and second round [at Reed Arena]."
Blair, who is in his seventh season at A&M, has led the Aggies to five straight NCAA tournament appearances after making the tournament only twice before he arrived. He believes the Aggies have paid their dues when it comes to travel.
A&M has been sent to Trenton, N.J.; Los Angeles; Baton Rouge, La.; and South Bend, Ind., for first-round games. A&M's deepest run was two years ago, losing to eventual national champion Tennessee in the Elite Eight. That also was a couple of easy drives. The Aggies won in Baton Rouge, which sent them to the regional semifinals in Oklahoma City.
"Sometimes you get tired of being the [Harlem] Globetrotters, always going on the road," Blair said. "You want to be able to bring this back to the College Station-Bryan area."
That's not going to happen this year, but the Aggies still have a chance to get back to Texas because the Final Four is in San Antonio.
"The Final Four is where it's all about," Blair said. "We would love to get to San Antone. I remember when the [A&M] men where down there [in 2007] for the Sweet 16. That was a special time. You had 20,000 Aggies sitting there, cheering. I was fired up.
"I would like that to happen to move this program up."
A&M will be heavily favored to oust Portland State, but the bracket then would get much tougher. No. 7 seed Gonzaga and No. 10 seed North Carolina play in Seattle's other first-round game, with the winner advancing to Monday night's game.
A&M beat Gonzaga 80-76 earlier in the season in the Las Vegas Hoops Classic. North Carolina is a former NCAA champ, having won the title in 1994.
The Seattle winner advances to the regional semifinals next weekend at Sacramento's Arco Arena, where top-seeded Stanford and third-seeded Xavier will be waiting if the bracket plays out according to favorites.
"I'm ready for the challenge and I hope our team can go all the way to the Final Four in San Antonio," A&M sophomore starting point guard Sydney Carter said. "This team is so focused and playing together right now."
A&M (25-7) has won nine of its last 10 games, capped by defeating three straight Top 15 teams to win the Big 12 tournament last weekend in Kansas City.
"We are peaking at the right time," A&M junior backup point guard Sydney Colson said. "Earlier this season, we lost some really close games and our chemistry wasn't great. We are now jelling as a team and our chemistry is a lot better. We are working a lot harder on both ends of the floor."
TEXAS A&M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
* Saturday's NCAA tournament Sacramento Regional first-round game: No. 2 seed Texas A&M (25-7) vs. No. 15 Portland State (18-14), 7:06 p.m. in Seattle
* TV/radio: ESPN2, Ch. 28/KZNE, 1150 AM
LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M (25-7, 10-6 BIG 12)
Name Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
Sydney Carter G 5-6 So. 7.8 3.4*
Tanisha Smith F 6-0 Sr. 15.0 5.4
Tyra White G 6-0 So. 10.7 4.2
Adaora Elonu F 6-1 So. 8.8 4.8
Damitria Buchanan F 6-2 Sr. 3.0 4.1
PORTLAND STATE (18-14, 9-7 BIG SKY)
NAME POS. HT. CL. PPG RPG
Claire Faucher G 5-9 Sr. 13.6 6.6*
Eryn Jones G 5-8 So. 10.1 2.5
Lexi Bishop F 5-8 Jr. 6.1 2.8
Erin Yankus F 6-2 Sr. 7.5 5.6
Kate DePaepe F 6-1 Jr. 4.3 3.2
*assists per game
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