Five Conference USA schools, more than any other league, will take part in the 2004 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Charlotte, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis and USF will each participate in the 32-team field, which opens play on Wednesday. The five WNIT teams are the most ever in one season for C-USA and it gives the league an all-time best nine women’s basketball teams in postseason play.

Charlotte will be making its second straight postseason appearance and first WNIT trip since the 1989-90 season. The 49ers, who enter the WNIT with a 16-13 overall record, will play at Clemson (17-11) on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Louisville will host Western Michigan in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday, March 18 in Cardinal Arena. A game time has not been set. The Cardinals enter the game with an overall record of 20-9 and finished tied for second in the league with TCU. U of L has won nine of its last 10 games, while also posting a school record-tying streak of 12 consecutive wins during the regular season. Western Michigan has an overall record of 17-11 and finished with an 11-5 record in the MAC Conference.

This is the third appearance in the WNIT for the Cardinals and their first time to host the event. The last time the Cardinals appeared in the WNIT was during the 2002 season. Louisville lost in the first round at Ball State.

The winner of the Louisville-Western Michigan contest will face the winner of the Charlotte/Clemson matchup in the second round.

Memphis is back in postseason play for the first time since receiving a bid to the 2001 WNIT. The Tigers will host future Conference USA member Tulsa on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Memphis is 20-9 and has achieved its first 20-plus victory season since the 1998-99 campaign, when the Tigers finished 22-10. Tulsa enters the WNIT with a 19-11 record, finishing 11-7 in Western Athletic Conference play.

Cincinnati has extended its string of consecutive postseason appearances to seven, the longest current streak in Conference USA. The Bearcats will be participating in the WNIT for the fourth time since 1998 when they travel to Western Kentucky for a game on Friday. The Hilltoppers are 18-13 on the year and reached the championship game of the Sun Belt Tournament.

The winner of the Memphis-Tulsa contest is paired up to play the winner of the Cincinnati/Western Kentucky matchup in the second round.

USF (15-15) will be making the first postseason appearance in school history. The Bulls will hit the road to face Richmond in the first round on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. The Spiders come into the WNIT with a 20-9 record and finished second in the West Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Florida State-South Alabama game.

All rounds of play in the 32-team field are played at campus sites. Second Round play takes place from March 19-22 and quarterfinal action is set for March 24-25. The championship game will be played on March 30, April 1st or 2nd.


2004 WNIT PAIRINGS

Wednesday, March 17
First Round
Charlotte at Clemson, 7:00 p.m.. EST

Thursday, March 18
First Round
Western Michigan at Louisville, TBA

First Round
Tulsa at Memphis, TBA

First Round
USF at Richmond, 7:00 p.m. EST

Friday, March 19
First Round
Cincinnati at Western Kentucky, TBA

OTHER FIRST ROUND WNIT MATCHUPS
Pepperdine (17-12) at Washington (17-12), March 19
Creighton (19-9) at Colorado State (17-11), March 19
Drake (16-14) at Nebraska (17-11), March 18
Gonzaga (18-11) at Oregon State (15-14), March 19
Florida State (14-14) at South Alabama (22-6), March 17
Idaho State (20-8) at Iowa State (15-14), March 17
Miami (Ohio) at Xavier (17-12), March 17
George Mason (18-10) at Seton Hall (14-14), March 18
Kent (19-9) at St. Joseph’s (20-10), March 19
Rice (21-9) at Arkansas State (19-9), March 18
Arizona State (17-11) at UNLV (22-7), March 18