ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 12, 1996 TAG: 9603120117
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
The luck of the draw and a strong local showing promises large crowds for this weekend's Division III men's basketball Final Four at the Salem Civic Center.
As of Monday afternoon, 1,286 ticket books had been sold locally, said Salem Civic Center director Carey Harveycutter.
``That's a great, great local response,'' said Chris Pohl, an NCAA assistant director of championships.
Civic center capacity with tarps over the corner seating sections is 3,848 for the event, but two tarps have been pulled up in response to ticket demand. Seating capacity now is approximately 4,632.
Each of the competing schools, Franklin & Marshall (Pa.), Hope (Mich.) College, Illinois Wesleyan and Rowan (N.J.) College, were given an initial allotment of 341 tickets. Hope and Illinois Wesleyan have sold out and asked for more. That was no surprise to Wesleyan coach and athletic director Dennie Bridges. When he was given his stack of tickets on Saturday after his sectional victory, he said ``We'll need more than this.''
``We still sell standing-room only seats every night,'' Bridges said Monday. ``We brought [500] to the sectional; the Final Four is a monumental step up from that.''
Hope has led Division III in home attendance (2,300 per game) in each of the past two seasons. There is a 10-year waiting list for season tickets at their Holland (Mich.) Civic Center.
``We've sold all the ones that were given to us,'' said the Flying Dutchmen's athletic director, Ray Smith. ``Our ticket manager is going to call Bob Zimmerman at the civic center to help us out a little bit.''
Illinois Wesleyan has requested 200 additional tickets, and Hope wants 150. Rowan isn't moving seats like the two midwestern entries, but it has lined up two fan buses.
Sales are going well at Franklin & Marshall, as well. The Diplomats late Monday afternoon requested an additional 110 ticket books.
``I walked by when they went on sale at noon,'' said Diplomats coach Glenn Robinson, ``and there's been a line ever since they put them out.''
``I would bet this will end up being a sellout.''
BRIDGES STOPPED HERE: Roger Surber of Salem, whose family will host Illinois Wesleyan's Bridges, has quite an act to live up to this week.
When Bridges took the Titans to the 1965 NAIA tournament in Kansas City, he found himself with some time to kill, so his host, Pete Carter, took him out to the Harry Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Mo. Once they arrived at the library, Carter asked a secretary to see Mr. Truman, an acquaintance. Just then, Truman walked down the hall.
He greeted Bridges and the team, wishing them luck. Then Carter interjected, ``That's nice of you, Mr. President, but we've got a Kansas City team in the tournament, Rockhurst College. You won't be able to pull for Illinois Wesleyan.''
``Like hell I can't!'' Truman said. ``Rockhurst didn't come out here to see me, did they?''
SNAPPING THE NET: It's not always easy to find information on Division III basketball, but Franklin & Marshall has done its part to spread the word.
The Diplomats' athletic department has established the first Division III sports home page on the Internet. The address is www.centennial.fandm.edu.
Available on the page is a variety of information about Division III men's and women's basketball, including all tournament results and pages on some Old Dominion Athletic Conference teams.
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