LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—For the first time in school history, the UALR women’s basketball team will start the 2009-10 season competing in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament announced today. The first-rounds of the Preseason WNIT begin on Friday, November 13 with the Trojans traveling to Stillwater, Okla. to face Oklahoma State.
This season’s field includes 11 teams that played in the postseason last spring including UALR, Ohio State, Bowling Green, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Tech, Marist, New Mexico, North Carolina A&T, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and Winthrop. Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Northern Colorado, Towson, and UTEP will also compete this year.
The Preseason WNIT is a three-game guarantee format. The first rounds are played on November 13 with second round action slated for November 15-16. The semi-finals will be held November 18-19 with the championship game set for Sunday, November 22. Teams that lose in the first two rounds play in consolation games that will take place November 20-22. All games are hosted by participating schools. Sites are announced by the end of the preceding round.
UALR will start the 2009-10 after recording the team’s second straight Sun Belt West Division Championship and WNIT appearance. The Trojans finished the 2008-09 season 26-7 overall and 16-2 in conference action, both school records. All five starters return to this season’s squad that competed in the Sun Belt Championship game last year.
First-round Preseason WNIT gamesAll 2008-2009 team records in parentheses
Friday, Nov. 13, 2009Eastern Illinois (24-9) at Ohio State (29-6), 5 p.m. ET
UTEP (18-12) at Florida Gulf Coast (26-5), 7 p.m. ET
Arkansas-Little Rock (26-7) at Oklahoma State (17-16), 7 p.m. ET
Towson (17-13) at West Virginia (18-15), 7 p.m. ET
Winthrop (16-16) at Georgia Tech (22-10), 7:30 p.m. ET
Chicago State (16-13) at Bowling Green (29-5), 7:30 p.m. ET
North Carolina A&T (26-7) at Marist (29-4), 7:30 p.m. ET
