"I would have never believed that this many people would come to see this team," said Chrissy Merideth, 6, of the Lady Hawks. "It’s really exciting to know that maybe someday I may get to play in crowds like this."

The youth teams were part of the many groups in the stands. MU guard Kerensa Barr said the crowd gave the Tigers an extra boost.

"The crowd was huge for us tonight and that’s great for our season and for this program for this many people to come out," she said. "I think we showed them a good game and hopefully they’ll come back."

Jayhawk assistant coaches, aware of the crowd, brought in large signs to signal their players

"It’s difficult when you have a crowd like that going against you," said coach Marian Washington, in her 28th year at KU. "It could make all the difference in the world for you."