One More Final Four

• By AMY WOLD
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Apr 1, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:25 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — Other than a small section of blue and white clad North Carolina fans, the New Orleans Arena was owned by the sheer number of LSU fans Monday night.

Then when the clock ran out on the NCAA’s New Orleans Regional, the LSU Lady Tigers owned it too with a winning score of 56-50.

LSU advances to its fifth consecutive Final Four this weekend in Tampa, Fla., and another shot at the national championship. They will face either Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee or Texas A&M, who meet tonight.

“Hopefully, this will be the one,” Lorraine Rizzuto, 72, of New Orleans, said Monday.

Rizzuto is a member of the Silver Slammers senior Olympic basketball team and plans to be in Tampa to see LSU play.

“We wouldn’t miss it,” she said about herself and other members of the team.

North Carolina and LSU traded points for most of the game, televised on ESPN.

“The outcome was great, but the game was nerve-wracking,” said Leonore Heavey, of Baton Rouge.

At halftime with the score 24-21 in LSU’s favor, fans were not celebrating but they were not down either — just a little nervous.

“I wish the game was over right now,” said Carol Stephens, of Lutcher. “I think we’re playing well. I think we got it. I hope we got it.”

However, before Monday’s game even started, North Carolina residents Alisa Carswell and Meg Reilley expected to be in Tampa watching the Final Four.

And they were right.

Decked out in purple and gold from their Mardi Gras masks to their flowing capes, the two were ready for an LSU win.