After Spirited Run to the Title Game, Blue Hens Travel to Toledo for First Round of the WNIT
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March 16, 2011
• WNIT Bracket
• WNIT Tournament Central
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After making a run to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship game as the seven seed, the University of Delaware women’s basketball team was selected to play in the 2011 Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Delaware will open the WNIT on the road against a team it has never faced, playing at the University of Toledo in Ohio. The Rockets earned the Mid-American Conference’s automatic to the WNIT, entering the league tournament as the No. 1 but fell in the league’s semifinals and was the conference’s top team in the West Division, going 23-8 overall and 14-2 in the MAC.
“We are very excited to be in postseason play,” said Blue Hen head coach Tina Martin, who will guide her team to its sixth WNIT appearance. “Our team has played really well in the postseason and it’s a great opportunity for our team to get experience playing in a national tournament. ”
The game will be played on Wednesday, March 16 in the 7,300 seat John F. Savage Arena. game is set for 7 p.m. All tickets for this game are general admission. Tickets are $13.00 for adults, $6.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets are on sale now at the UT Ticket Office at Savage Arena or by calling 419-530-GOLD (4653).
Delaware (20-13) came into the CAA tournament as the No. 7 seed, finishing with a conference record of 10-8 and in a three-way tie for fifth place. The Blue Hens made an amazing run to the championship game, knocking off second-seeded Old Dominion, which accepted the conference’s automatic qualifier to the WNIT. The next day, the Blue Hens knocked third-seeded UNC Wilmington.
In the championship game, the Blue Hens battled hard against top seeded James Madison, but fell by a narrow 67-61 margin.
This marks the second-straight season Delaware has earned a berth a in the WNIT, and sixth time since 2002. This marks the second time Delaware has appeared in the WNIT in back-to-back seasons, having earned berths in 2005 and 2006.
The Hens built a strong resume during the season, playing six teams that made the NCAA tournament, knocking off two of those teams. Delaware defeated St. Francis (Pa.), which won the Northeast Conference title and earned a No. 13 seed, 68-52 on Nov. 23, and knocked off Navy two games later 60-55. The Mids earned the Patriot League’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.
Also on the Hens’ 2011 schedule are games against Big 10 runner-up Penn State University, a six seed and Princeton who won the Ivy League and earned a No. 12. Delaware did battle with Vanderbilt University at the Hilton Garden in Hokie Classic. The Commodores earned an at-large bid to the big dance.
Several other Delaware opponents made the WNIT brackets, including automatic berths Old Dominion, UMBC (America East) and Yale University (Ivy League). Earning at-large bids from the CAA were Drexel, UNC Wilmington and Virginia Commonwealth University and nonconference foe St. Joseph’s.
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