Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

• WNIT Web Site / Bracket
• Live Stats / Live Video
• Radio: The Ticket / WVUD

NEWARK, Del. - The University of Delaware women’s basketball is set to face the University of Richmond in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.

“We’re obviously very excited to go into postseason play,” said veteran head coach Tina Martin. “This is a great opportunity for our young team to experience the postseason and we’re thrilled that we were awarded a home game. We hope the fans will come out and cheer us on one more time.”

The 21-11 Blue Hens will play host to the 19-12 Spiders who finished the Atlantic 10 season at 7-7. After defeating Massachusetts in the first round of its conference tournament, Richmond fell in the quarterfinals to eventual champion, Xavier, 61-52, on March 6.

The Spiders are led by junior guard Brittani Shells, a nearby Caravel Academy graduate, who averages 16.8 points per game, while sophomore guard Abby Oliver adds 10.1 points per contest. Junior center Crystal Goring is atop Richmond statistics averaging 5.6 rebounds per outing.

Delaware is led by Colonial Athletic Association Player and Rookie of the Year, Elena Delle Donne. Delle Donne, the nation’s second leading scorer, averages team-highs of 26.8 points and 9.0 boards per game, while junior guard Tesia Harris adds double-digit scoring with 12.6 points per contest. Sophomore guard Kayla Miller leads the Hens at the point, dishing out a team-high 73 assists.

The winner of the Delaware vs. Richmond game will play the winner of the Syracuse vs. Harvard matchup that is also being played Thursday night in Syracuse. The host for the second round game will be determined at a later date.

The CAA has as record-high six teams competing in postseason play. Four teams join Delaware in the WNIT Tournament, while James Madison earned the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Drexel, Hofstra, Old Dominion and VCU join the Blue Hens in WNIT competition.

Tickets will be available for purchase beginning Tues., March 16, at 10 a.m. All seating, with the exception of courtside seating, will be general admission. Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $9 for children 3-17 (including students), and $36 for limited courtside seating, which is available for purchase only through the UD Season Ticket Office and at BCC Box Office. Tickets are available for purchasing online at www.ticketmaster.com, and in-person at the Bob Carpenter Center Box Office (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Trabant Student Center Box Office (10 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Delaware has compiled an 0-4 record in the Postseason WNIT as the Blue Hens were invited to compete in the 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 Tournaments. Delaware fell to George Washington, 78-71 in 2002 at the Smith Center in Washington, D.C. before dropping a 65-47 decision to Saint Joseph’s at Alumni Fieldhouse in Philadelphia in 2003. In 2005 UD was edged by St. John’s, 48-42, on its home Bob Carpenter Center floor, while most recently the Hens fell to Pittsburgh, 64-57, at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. during the 2006 season.

Delaware has twice participated in the NCAA Tournament. No. 13 UD fell to No. 4 N.C. State in its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001 at the Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. Delaware, a No. 12 seed, also participated in the 2007 tournament, but fell to No. 5 Michigan, 69-58, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.

The WNIT is an annual tournament involving 64 of the nation’s top women’s Division I basketball teams. All games, including the semifinals and championship, are hosted by participating schools, while every round is single elimination.

The Tournament features 32 first-round games, followed by 16 second-round games, eight third-round games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games, and the championship. The event offers 31 automatic berths, one to each established conference, and 33 at-large berths.

The Postseason WNIT began in 1998 with 16 teams playing for a postseason crown. The WNIT is committed to offering deserved opportunities to women’s basketball programs, and the 2010 Postseason WNIT will be the first event to feature a full 64-team bracket.