Scalpers waved reams of tickets outside the Scottrade Center on Tuesday night, about an hour before unbeaten Connecticut played Louisville for the title.

"Cheaper here than at the window!" one seller yelled, promising he'd easily beat the official $81 price.

There were plenty of empty seats in the upper bowl for the semifinals, too. The NCAA's take: It's a sign of the country's hard times.

Sue Donohoe, the NCAA's vice president for Division I women's basketball, said attendance of more than 20,000 — not far off capacity — was expected as UConn shot for the fifth unbeaten season in women's history.

"Certainly, to break that streak is sad," Donohoe said. "But we're understanding of the economy and people need to do what they're going to do."

The 2001 event was held in St. Louis and is part of the sellout streak. There was competition for the entertainment dollar on the night of the final, with the Cardinals playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of the season at nearby Busch Stadium.

Male Bonding:

It's highly unusual for men to be coaching both finalists. UConn's Geno Auriemma and Louisville's Jeff Walz are the first such duo to vie for the championship since 1988, when Auburn's Joe Ciampi and Louisiana Tech's Leon Barmore matched wits.

Walz considers it no big deal.

"Our team has just been playing well and I happen to be a man and he's a man and we're playing," Walz said. "I think there's a bunch of great coaches in our game, male and female.

"When we go to play somebody, I don't look down the bench to see if it's a male coach or a female coach."

Tight Defense:

Entering the final, UConn had held 188 consecutive opponents below 50% shooting. The last team to do it was Boston College on March 8, 2004.

Louisville was a good shot, or bad shot, to keep that streak going. The Cardinals were shooting 43%, and had gone 10 games without hitting 50%.

"Offensively, we have a lot of weapons," Huskies center Tina Charles said. "Defensively, it takes a collective effort."

Louisville growth:

Louisville's run as a No. 3 seed has created plenty of interest on campus. Walz said two busloads of students attended the semifinal upset of Oklahoma, returning to the school after the game. He expected three or four busloads for the final.

The Cardinals likely gained more of a following after the men's team, seeded first overall, was upset by Michigan State.

"We really need them," forward Keshia Hines said of the fans. "They are out there for us every night. When we were down by 14 points they were still cheering, and helped pick us up.

"They drove four hours to cheer for us and we sure don't want to let them down."