SPOKANE, Wash. — (AP) — With fewer teams, games and fans in town, there’s a lot less chaos in Spokane for the NCAA Tournament.
The city is hosting women’s tournament games at Spokane Arena. Top overall seed UCLA and its 6-foot-7 All-America center Lauren Betts were among the eight teams in town.
Located in eastern Washington, just about 100 miles south of the Canadian border, Spokane is a mid-sized city that is somewhat unique in that it is a frequent March Madness host. The men’s tournament has included games in Spokane six times since 2003. The women’s tournament has had games at the arena four times and seven times in the city overall.
“Spokane has a long history of hosting championships,” said Ashley Blake, chief executive officer of Spokane Sports, the regional sports commission. “Spokane is a city that shows up for sports. And this tournament is really no exception. So having …