Jayhawks Set To Host Wichita State In 2011 Women's NIT
March 14, 2011
2011 WNIT Bracket
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas women’s basketball team, under seventh-year head coach Bonnie Henrickson, has been selected to play in the postseason Women’s NIT for the fourth-consecutive season. The Jayhawks will host Wichita State on Wednesday, March 16 in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.
The postseason appearance is Kansas’ fifth under Henrickson and the 21st in school history. The Jayhawks, who went 2-1 in last season’s WNIT, collected wins over Prairie View A&M and Creighton, before falling at Illinois State in the third round of the 2010 WNIT.
Wichita State enters Wednesday’s game with a 17-14 overall mark and a 10-8 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Shockers finished fifth in the MVC, but fell in the semifinals of the conference tournament to Northern Iowa. Wichita State is coached by Jody Adams and is led by Haleigh Lankster with 13.3 points per game, while Jessica Diamond pours 9.4 points a game.
KU has made four appearances in the WNIT under its current format, and has also played in the NWIT twice — in 1978 and 1991 — when it was an eight-team tournament. The NWIT later went to 16 teams until its final year of 1996. There was no NWIT in 1997. In 1998, the tournament was brought back under the new name WNIT and in 1999, the field expanded to 32 teams. In 2006, the field was compiled of 40 teams in an effort to include conference regular-season championship who did not win their conference tournament. In 2007 the field was expanded to 48 teams and in 2010 the tourney again expanded to include 64 teams.
The Jayhawks earned the Big 12 Conference’s automatic bid after posting a 20-12 overall record. KU recorded a 6-10 mark in Big 12 Conference action. Kansas is led by sophomore All-Big 12 First Team forward Carolyn Davis who averages 18.0 points and 7.2 boards per game. Sophomore guard Monica Engelman turns in 12.1 tallies per game, while junior forward Aishah Sutherland contributes 8.8 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game.
Tickets will be available at www.kuathletics.com or by calling 1-800-34-HAWKS. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $4 for students ages 4-17. KU students will be admitted for free with a valid KU ID.
