It was a radical idea at first and a tough feat to accomplish, but they put their marketing powers together and made it happen in an area where women’s basketball was not very popular. That sold-out game on Jan. 23, 1999, a 64-61 win over UTEP, changed the New Mexico women’s basketball program. The Lady Lobos went 17-1 at home that season.

Since the original sellout, 28 New Mexico women’s basketball games have drawn more than 6,000 in attendance, including another sellout last year against BYU and 16,845 to see Utah on Jan. 7 this season.

Now Moccia and Guckenberger - who came to Missouri in 1999 and 2000, respectively - are trying to duplicate New Mexico’s success at MU with the second-annual "Head to the Hearnes" promotion tomorrow as the Tigers play host to Kansas in the 58th meeting between the schools.

"It all worked out at UNM," said Moccia, MU associate director of athletics, who overseas marketing and promotions. "No one had seen a women’s basketball game at ‘The Pit’ sell out before. It spurred the crowd into a frenzy and made them want to come back for more. We did it at the grass-roots level, the same way we’re trying to do it here at MU."

The promotion, which has helped sell more than 12,000 tickets and might sell out the 13,300-seat Hearnes Center on game day with walk-up crowds, started at the beginning of the year as the MU marketing department began selling the $1 game tickets to area businesses and recreational leagues. Many businesses that could not use their tickets have donated them to area school districts. No complimentary tickets were given out.

An additional part of the promotion includes a $100 pizza party for the dorm floor that buys the most tickets and a $50 party for second place.

Last year’s promotion brought 6,227 to Hearnes - despite 4 inches of snow - for a 76-71 loss to No. 23 Oklahoma.

"This is a great growth sport," said Guckenberger, MU director of marketing. "We want to grow awareness of women’s basketball in Mid-Missouri, and the best way to do that is to get people in the stands. We want them to catch the fever. Plus, how can you not want to see KU in any sport?"

The Big 12 have some of the top teams in the country in terms of attendance. At Texas Tech and Iowa State, five-digit attendance figures for women’s basketball games are the norm. Missouri coach Cindy Stein is eager to play with a crowd that large on her side.

"Our players are pumped for this," said Stein. "We’ve always believed that our crowd was our sixth person. Our players might think this will be a road game with all the people that will be out here cheering for us. A good crowd makes it tough on the other team to get calls, it influences other calls and it can build or break momentum. We hope this promotion can lead to bigger and bigger things."