USF Women’s Basketball Invited to Preseason NIT

Jessica Dickson

USF head women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez announced this afternoon that the Bulls have accepted an invitation to play in the 16-team preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. It marks the first time in program history that the Bulls have been extended an invitation to participate in a preseason event. USF will face Middle Tennessee State in the first round on Friday, November 12 in Murfreesboro, TN with the winner advancing to play the winner of Duke and Davidson on Sunday, November 14.

“Any time that you have the opportunity to play an NCAA Tournament team in a prestigious event like the WNIT, it’s an honor,” said Fernandez. “This game will definitely be a challenge for our ball club, but a challenge that we are extremely looking forward to. I’m very excited about the team that we will put on the floor this season.”

“The opportunity that the WNIT has given us is a compliment to the progress that we have made the past few years,” said Fernandez, “and matching us up against an opponent like Middle Tennessee State will only help to make us a better team as we look to win a Conference USA championship.”

The Lady Raiders finished the 2003-04 season with a 24-8 record and a 10-4 slate in the Sun Belt Conference. Middle Tennessee defeated Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt championship game, 79-57, to advance to the NCAA Tournament where they upset fourth seed, and No. 12 ranked, North Carolina, 67-62.

MTSU would close the season with a 59-46 loss to Notre Dame in the second round.

In addition to the Bulls’ part of the bracket, other first round games on November 12 include: Illinois State at Notre Dame, Western Illinois at Nebraska, Bowling Green at Ohio State, Boston University at Saint Joseph’s, Saint Mary’s (CA) at Arizona, and McNeese State at Rice.

This past season USF advanced to the post season for the first time in school history facing Richmond in the first round of the post season Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Bulls finished the season 14-15 and 7-7 (8th) in Conference USA.

USF will return Conference USA Freshman of the Year – and Freshman All-America – Jessica Dickson in addition to C-USA All-Freshmen Team member Nalini Miller. The Bulls will also return senior veterans Andrea Armstrong, Anedra Gilmore, Alana Tanksley, and Tristen Webb for their final seasons.

USF will start play in the BIG EAST Conference, which has been one of the premier women’s basketball conferences in America, at the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year. The BIG EAST has won five of the last six national championships and six in the last 10 seasons. Connecticut – in addition to this year’s championship – also took the title in 1995, 2000, 2002, and 2003, and Notre Dame took the 2001 championship. In addition, Rutgers also advanced to the Women's Final Four in 2000.