NCAA tournament games are supposed to be in neutral court environments. As the Kansas State women's basketball program experienced firsthand, however, that isn't always necessarily the case. Playing at the Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky, the crowd was understandably and clearly in favor of Kenny Brooks' team.
The opening two rounds of March Madness on the women's side of the bracket are played at the higher seed's home venue. From the Sweet 16 onward, that isn't the case from then on. It does provide for what works out to be essentially a road game following conference tournament play.
Like it or not, the crowd can play a role. Good teams and good players find a way to use the energy of the fanbase against the hosts. In fact, there are a select few who even enjoy silencing an otherwise enthusiastic group. The sweet sound of deafening silence can fuel a visiting team, sometimes even more than a roaring applause of appreciation from the more familiar campus environment.
While this aspect specifically wasn't the case for KSU, their ball did, in effect, equally thwart the momentum of UK and the moments of approval from the blue Wildcats spectators. Temira Poindexter and Serena Sundell especially made key plays throughout the contest when the Kentucky applause of appreciation would have normally carried over into an ensuing possession.
Instead, the marked disappointment over the play from them and Ayoka Lee, for example, tilted the atmosphere more toward that of a neutral one. Coach Jeff Mittie even spoke to this following the 80-79 overtime win to advance to the Sweet 16.
Speaking at the podium following the game, the HC offered the following:
"We answered back, and we answered emphatically."
That they did! Seemingly any time Kentucky was poised to create separation, one of the KSU players stepped up and reestablished momentum back in their favor. Coaches often preach about playing through the noise and blocking everything out. On Sunday, the Kansas State group perfectly exemplified that.
Battle-tested Kansas State women's basketball team
Now waiting for the USC Trojans and Mississippi State Bulldogs, the royal purple Wildcats can feel confident in their ability to play well, regardless of the environment. As is, this team has shown an excellent ability to adjust and overcome obstacles throughout the year.
Keeping composure and playing well without elements lining up in your favor is a sign of a good team. Between injuries with star center Lee and the path for a potential Final Four run, very little has gone according to what anyone in the program would have drawn things up.
Regardless of who KSU ends up facing, considering everything this group has been through already, they will enter the building in the Sweet 16 with a full amount of deserved confidence. Ideally, the Kansas State women's basketball program gets off to a quick start and cruises to a comfortable win. If, however, the complete opposite happens, they could find themselves down big. An early first-quarter deficit in front of either a pro-USC or Mississippi State crowd will still be nervous if they've paid attention to this Wildcats program all year long. Their tenacity and fortitude are impossible to deny.