Long Beach State Fires Bolla

Long Beach State coach Dallas Bolla was fired Monday after eight seasons at the school.

The 49ers had their first losing record (14-15) in five seasons and finished third in the Big West Conference, losing in the conference tournament semifinals.

“Dallas has given eight years to Long Beach State, and we appreciate her commitment to the program....” Long Beach Athletic Director Bill Shumard said in a statement. “But I feel it’s time to go in a new direction with the women’s program.”

Bolla was 120-112 at Long Beach. Her best season was in 1999-2000 when the 49ers finished 22-11, finished second in the Big West and lost in the finals of the conference tournament.

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Louisiana Tech was happy to make the NCAA tournament again, the Lady Techsters were not happy to be a No. 5 seed in the West Region.

“You go 29-2 and try to figure out a reason you got a No. 5 seed, but you can’t do nothing about it,” player Erica Smith said. “You’ve got to go out and play. We’re not looking at a number when we step out on the court and the ball’s in the air. The dog days are here.”

Louisiana Tech, which will play host to the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, will play No. 12-seeded Pepperdine Sunday.

The other two teams sent to Ruston, La., were No. 4-seeded Ohio State and No. 13-seeded Weber State, which will also play on Sunday.

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Connecticut barely held on at No. 1 after its winning streak ended at 70. Connecticut edged Duke by four points in the final Associated Press women’s rankings, the smallest margin between the top two teams since a media panel began voting in 1994.

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Women’s NCAA Tournament

EAST REGIONAL

* Saturday at Constant Convocation Center, Norfolk, Va.: Boston College (20-8) vs. Old Dominion (21-10), 8:10 a.m.; Vanderbilt (21-9) vs. Liberty (26-3), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Saturday at Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Ind.: Virginia Tech (21-9) vs. Georgia Tech (20-10), 8:14 a.m.; Purdue (26-5) vs. Valparaiso (18-12), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Sunday at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn.: Connecticut (31-1) vs. Boston University (16-14), 9:06 a.m.; Michigan State(17-11) vs. Texas Christian (19-13), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kan.: Arizona (22-8) vs. Notre Dame (19-10), 4:06 p.m.; Kansas State (28-4) vs. Harvard (22-4), 30 minutes after Game 1.

MIDEAST REGIONAL

* Saturday at the Coors Events & Conference Center, Boulder, Colo.: North Carolina (27-5) vs. Austin Peay (27-3), 6:18 p.m.; Colorado (22-7) vs. Brigham Young (19-11), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.: Tennessee (28-4) vs. Alabama State (20-10), 8:06 a.m.; Virginia (16-13) vs. Illinois (17-11), 30 minutes after Game 1

* Sunday at the Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Okla.: Villanova (25-5) v. St. Francis, Pa. (23-7), 3:36 p.m.; George Washington (24-6) vs. Oklahoma (19-12), 30 minutes after Game 1

* Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.: South Carolina (22-7) vs. Chattanooga (26-4), 9:10 a.m.; Penn State (24-8) vs. Holy Cross (24-7), 30 minutes after Game 1.

MIDWEST REGIONAL

* Saturday at the Pit, Albuquerque, N.M.: Mississippi State (23-7) vs. Manhattan (20-9), 6:14 p.m.; New Mexico (22-8) vs. Miami (18-12), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga.: Rutgers (20-7) vs. Western Kentucky (22-8), 8:18 a.m.; Georgia (19-9) vs. Charlotte (21-8), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Sunday at Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, N.C.: Utah (23-6) vs. DePaul (22-9), 9:18 a.m.; Duke (31-1) vs. Georgia State (20-10), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Sunday at United Spirit Arena, Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech (26-5) vs. Southwest Missouri State (18-12), 3:40 p.m.; UC Santa Barbara (26-4) vs. Xavier (20-9), 30 minutes after Game 1.

WEST REGIONAL

* Saturday at McArthur Court, Eugene, Ore.: Wisconsin-Green Bay (27-3) vs. Washington (22-7), 6:06 p.m.; Louisiana State (27-3) vs. Southwest Texas State (18-13), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Saturday at Maples Pavilion, Palo Alto: Minnesota (23-5) vs. Tulane (19-9), 6:10 p.m.; Stanford (26-4) vs. Western Michigan (20-11), 30 minutes after Game 1.

* Sunday at Shoemaker Center, Cincinnati: Texas (25-5) vs. Hampton (23-8), 9:14 a.m.; Arkansas (21-10) vs. Cincinnati (23-7), 30 minutes after Game 1

* Sunday at the Thomas Assembly Center, Ruston, La.: Ohio State (21-9) vs. Weber State (21-8), 4:10 p.m.; Louisiana Tech (29-2) vs. Pepperdine (22-7), 30 minutes after Game 1.

All times Pacific