March 27, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — For the second time in five years, Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Final Four.

The top-seeded Irish captured the Midwest Regional crown Monday night in Denver, thanks to a 72-64 victory over third-seeded Vanderbilt. National player of the year Ruth Riley led the way with a season-high 32 points.

Notre Dame moves on to St. Louis where the Irish (32-2) will face Connecticut (32-2) in the second game of a Friday night doubleheader at the Savvis Center (capacity 22,527).

Purdue (30-6) faces Southwest Missouri State (30-4) in the first game at 6:00 p.m. CST (7:00 p.m. EST in South Bend), with Notre Dame and Connecticut to follow at approximately 8:30 p.m. CST (9:30 p.m. EST in South Bend).

Winners return to play for the national championship at 7:30 p.m. CST (8:30 p.m. EST) Sunday. ESPN will televise all three games live.

Notre Dame receives an allotment of 800 tickets for the games in St. Louis (cost is $100 each).

One hundred tickets were made available to Notre Dame students beginning at 9:00 a.m. today.

Three hundred tickets have been made available to Notre Dame women’s basketball season-ticket holders. Applications were distributed to season-ticket holders in mid-February, and all those who responded by the March 12 deadline have been accommodated.

No general public ticket sale is planned. Remaining tickets will be utilized by players, coaches, staff and members of the official party.