Four Pac-12 women's basketball teams to compete in WNIT
Mar 17, 2014
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Four Pac-12 women’s basketball teams were among the 64 teams selected to participate in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, it was announced on Monday. With their selections, the Conference has nine teams selected for postseason action, with five teams earning NCAA Tournament bids earlier today.
COLORADO, OREGON, WASHINGTON and WASHINGTON STATE earned bids to the WNIT. Matchups and game information will be released tonight between 11 p.m. and midnight ET/8 p.m. and 9 p.m. PT. The latest information can be found at www.womensnit.com and on twitter at @womensNIT.
Washington received the Pac-12’s automatic bid after going 10-8 in Conference play to place sixth overall. The Huskies have also posted a 17-13 record on the season. The team is led by Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Kelsey Plum (Poway, Calif.) and All-Pac-12 performer junior guard Jazmine Davis (San Jose, Calif.). Plum is the nation’s second-highest scoring freshman, averaging 20.8 points per game, while Davis is contributing 19.1 ppg.
Washington State posted its first non-losing Conference record since 1990-91, and its 17 wins are the most since 1995-96. The Cougs, who placed seventh in the Pac-12, are making their first-ever WNIT appearance and first postseason appearance since 1990-91. WSU is led by JR G Tia Presley (Spokane, Wash.) and SO G Lia Galdeira (Kamuela, Hawai’i). Both were named to the All-Pac-12 team, the team’s first all-Conference honorees since 1999.
Colorado and Oregon finished in a tie for ninth place in the Pac-12 with a 6-12 record. The Buffs are 17-14 overall and is making its fourth-straight postseason run. The Buffs have three players averaging double digits, led by SO F Arielle Roberson (San Antonio, Texas) at 12.0 ppg and grabbing a team-best 8.4 rebounds per game.
The Ducks are the most prolific-scoring team in the nation, averaging at 93.5 ppg. They are led by a pair of underclassmen in FR G Chrishae Rowe (Corona, Calif.) the highest-scoring freshman in the nation at 21.9 ppg. All-Pac-12 performer SO F Jillian Alleyne (Fontana, Calif.) is the nation’s leading rebounder at 15.9 rpg, while chipping in 21.8 ppg. It is UO’s first postseason action since 2010.
The four teams join NCAA Tournament squads ARIZONA STATE, CALIFORNIA, OREGON STATE, STANFORD and USC in postseason action. The NCAA Tournament begins on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25.
For more information on the WNIT, visit www.womensnit.com. For NCAA Tournament information, visit www.ncaa.com.