SEATTLE – There will be plenty of activities leading up to the big game today. Former athletes and people with a decent amount of money will be on hand. There will be memorabilia to view, and a stirring pre-game show.
Then a nationally-televised game between a couple of heated teams, surrounded by a halftime show.
Then after all of that is done, you can move on to watch the Super Bowl.
Yes indeed, the Washington women’s basketball team will be playing Washington State at 1 p.m. today at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The game was originally scheduled to have been played Saturday, but it was moved last fall when Fox Sports offered the teams a chance to play on national TV. Of course, no one knew that the Seahawks would be playing for the NFL title that day at the time. Still, Washington coach June Daugherty said she has no regrets about moving the game.
” (The Super Bowl) is at 3:30,” Daugherty said. “Our game is going to be over by three unless we go to overtime. That’s the TV window we were offered. We’re proud to have it and we’re excited to play on national TV on Super Bowl Sunday.”
The day begins with an auction at 10 a.m. at the Hec Ed North Court, featuring signed Husky memorabilia, trips and other merchandise. At 10:30, the team holds its annual alumni game on the main court. Prior to the start of the UW-WSU game, former Husky and Arlington High star Kayla Burt will be presented with her V Foundation Comeback Award by the foundation CEO Nick Valvano, brother of the award’s namesake Jim Valvano. And during halftime of the game, the school will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day with a ceremony featuring all the girls in attendance.
Washington senior guard Kristen O’Neill, who admits she’s a bandwagon Seahawks fan, says she’d like to see a good crowd, particularly with Burt being honored.
“I really hope that we have some fan support, especially since Kayla is getting her award,” O’Neill said. “She gave a lot to this program and hopefully we have a good crowd here to support her. I know we’ll have our die-hards here, I just hope other people realize that it’s going to be a great day out here. And people can still come to our game and watch the Super Bowl.”
Washington has been averaging 2,800 fans for its home games this season, and 3,043 for its home Pacific-10 Conference games. In their home game against the Cougars last year, played on Feb. 19, the Huskies drew 3,832 fans, the second-largest home crowd of the season for the team.
However many people do show up for today’s game will watch Washington State (1-10 Pac-10, 7-13 overall) try to snap a 21-game losing streak to Washington (7-4, 14-6). The Cougars came close on Jan. 7, losing 73-70 to the Huskies in Pullman. In its most recent game, WSU earned its first conference win of the season, defeating Arizona 84-77.
“Every team that has played them walks away knowing that they’re a lot better than their record shows,” O’Neill said. “I know that we don’t underestimate them. They’ve given a lot of teams tough runs.”
The game is a big one for Washington, in fifth place in the Pac-10 with seven games to go. The Huskies lost a big chance to help their postseason hopes when they lost their last game at home to No. 19 Arizona State.
In its first game against Washington State, Washington failed to stop WSU’s dribble penetration, and saw a 14-point lead shrink to two with 45 seconds to play before escaping with the win. In that game, guard Charmaine Jones scored 18 points for the Cougars, but Jones is now out with a sprained ankle. Still Washington State has a good combination of inside (Kate Benz and Keisha Moore) and outside (Katie Appleton, Amanda DuRocher) that has Daugherty concerned.
“Their high-low game is very, very good,” Daugherty said. “Their post players area scoring a lot of points. We know that they’re a talented team. They were in so many close battles, it was a matter of time before they were going to break through.”
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