Kansas Women To Play In 2008 WNIT In Allen Fieldhouse
March 17, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
2008 WNIT Bracket
The University of Kansas women’s basketball team, under fourth-year head coach Bonnie Henrickson, has been selected to play in the postseason Women’s NIT. The Jayhawks will play the winner of the first-round game between Southeast Missouri State and Evansville on Monday, March 24 in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. SEMO and Evansville will play their first-round game on Thursday, March 20.
The postseason appearance is Kansas’ second under Henrickson and 18th in school history. The Jayhawks also played in the WNIT in 2006, picking up a win over Northern Iowa in the opening round of action before falling to Ole Miss in its second game. Both games were played in Allen Fieldhouse.
Southeast Missouri State (23-8) was the Ohio Valley Conference regular season champion with a 17-3 mark in league play, but fell to Eastern Illinois in the OVC Tournament semifinals. The Redhawks earned an automatic bid into the WNIT after picking up the OVC regular-season title.
Evansville enters its match-up with SEMO with a 20-11 overall mark and also earned an automatic invite to the WNIT after claiming a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title. The Purple Aces, coached by 2008 MVC Coach of the Year Tricia Cullop, advanced to the conference tournament semifinals before falling to Drake, 46-41.
KU has made one appearance 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. This year, the tournament has expanded to 48 teams.
The Jayhawks earned the postseason bid after posting a 16-15 overall record. The mark is the second-highest number of wins under Henrickson, as her 2005-06 Jayhawk team finished 17-13 and also advanced to postseason play after collecting a 16-12 mark during the regular season.
Tickets will be available at www.kuathletics.com or by calling 1-800-34-HAWKS. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for youth.
