The Mississippi State women’s basketball team will open regular season action tonight against the University of South Alabama. The Bulldogs will host the Jaguars in the first round of the women’s version of the preseason National Invitation Tournament. “This is the first time to my knowledge that any team from our state has played in this tournament. We have a great opportunity to play in the WNIT,” MSU head coach Sharon Fanning said. “This is the way you build a program, by getting attention playing in these types of tournaments. This will show people in Mississippi and outside Mississippi that we are building a great program.”
This year’s WNIT sports a 16-team bracket with teams from around the country. Only one team per conference and no teams from last year’s tournament can participate in this year’s version. Eventual national champion University of Connecticut won the 2001 preseason WNIT over the No. 3 Vanderbilt Commodores.
This season, four top 25 teams–Kansas State, Penn State, Colorado State and MSU, will participate in the tournament. Twelve of the 16 teams participated in post-season play during the 2001-2002 season.
“Playing quality competition will make us a better team,” Fanning said. “We have to take every game like it is the game of the year. I think that quality of opponents has an effect on confidence, expectations and surely in rankings.
“Playing tough competition will also have an effect at the end of the year in post-season seeding. One big win or one bad lose can play a big role in the where a team ends up.”
Each game of the WNIT will be played on the home court of one of the participating schools. Host sites will be determined after each round, depending on attendance of the previous round.
“We have an opportunity to host this whole tournament,” Fanning said. “It will take getting fans in the stands. We have the opportunity to show that our fans really support our program, and that support will determine how many games we host.”
The winner of tonight’s game will take on the winner between Southwest Missouri State and Tulsa. Second round games will be played Sunday night Nov. 17, semifinals will be played Wednesday, Nov. 20, and the finals will be played Sunday, Nov. 24.
Tickets for tonight’s contest can be purchased at the Bryan Building ticket office. Prices are $8 for adults, $4 for children and $4 with valid MSU student ID. Tickets will be on sale until 5 p.m. tonight.