Barbara Burke, the women's basketball committee representative on hand at the NCAA Fresno Regional, said she was "very pleased" with the attendance Monday night at the Save Mart Center.

A crowd of 3,046 watched Louisiana State beat Connecticut 73-50.

She also praised the job done by the Save Mart Center and Fresno State in hosting the regional.

The Fresno Regional drew a total of 6,704 fans on Saturday and Monday.

In comparison, 12,474 fans watched Duke, Rutgers, Arizona State and Bowling Green in the Greensboro (N.C.) Regional.

"There was lots of excitement and enthusiasm in the facility," Burke said of the Save Mart Center.

LSU fans helped bring much of that excitement and enthusiasm.

They were as pumped up as their team, as the Tigers built a 17-point lead in the first half.

The Tigers' faithful, which appeared to outnumber those in Huskies' navy and white, lent a little Mardi Gras atmosphere to the arena. They were decked out in yellow and purple wigs, glittery capes, masks and beads. Whenever UConn started a cheer, the LSU fans drowned them out with one of their own. That went for the bands, too, with the Tigers turning up the volume at every chance.

LSU's fans also were loud about arguing every call against their team -- no matter how big the winning margin -- and razzing UConn players when they went to the free-throw line.

They stuck around for the postgame celebration as the Tigers danced at midcourt to their band's blaring brass section playing "Do what cha wanna."

Defense prevails

In another chapter of great offense versus great defense, defense won again.

LSU entered Monday night's game 21-0 when it holds teams to 50 or fewer points.

The Tigers held UConn to 50. Make that 22-0.

As of March 20, the Tigers owned the best defensive field goal percentage and lowest opponents scoring average. On offense, UConn held the fourth-best field goal percentage and fifth-best scoring average.

Holding UConn to 50 gave LSU forward Ashley Thomas no greater thrill.

"We just try to hold whoever we play to that," she said. "We pride ourselves on defense."

Closer to home in '08?

There's a good chance UConn and LSU will be among the top teams next year and won't have to play in regionals this side of the Mississippi.

There wasn't one senior on the floor -- or the bench -- Monday in the regional final.

"We're looking at two pretty good teams that will start off next year," LSU acting coach Bob Starkey said.

The nation's top teams are usually sent to nearby regionals.

Post pointers for prepsters

A few area girls basketball teams could be just a tad better next season as several players got out to watch the competition.

Sanger High had three girls basketball players with front-row seats Monday.

Veronica Gines, Sabrina Santos and Lauren Welch were just a couple of seats down from Fresno State men's assistant coach Senque Carey and basketball operations coordinator Don Slade.

Though all guards, the Sanger players still were mesmerized by the play of LSU's Sylvia Fowles.

"You can't help but watch her," Welch said.

Sanger, which made it to the Division II Central Section finals this season, will lose its post players to graduation, so the trio on hand tried to brush up on its post moves, using Fowles as a tutor.

"She's just amazing," Welch said. "She's been given amazing abilities and she's used them to her fullest."

Bullard coach Chris Reynolds said three or four of his girls team players watched the Fresno Regional semifinals Saturday.

"It was great to have some of the top teams in the nation in town," he said.

He said more of his players likely would have made the trip had it not been for the cost of tickets, which he said was a little steep for younger basketball fans. Tickets were $31 for adults, $16 for youth 18-and-under.

Buchanan had a few players out, including Abigail Cox and Sarah Barlocker.

Cox said watching the game "makes you wanna play college basketball."