UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- The Spiders (22-8) will host Miami University (OH) in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament Thursday at the Robins Center.
Tip will commence at 6 p.m.
General admission tickets are $5, and Richmond student admission is free with a valid student ID and Miami tickets are $4 with a valid student ID.
The WNIT consists of 64 teams, with 31 earning automatic bids, while 33 teams are chosen at-large. The postseason WNIT will open with first-round games Wednesday through Friday, Mar. 14-16. The event culminates Saturday, Mar. 31 with the championship game. All games are hosted by participating schools.
Richmond finished its regular season with a 22-8 mark and secured a bye in the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament for the second-straight year and third time in four seasons, after posting a 9-5 record in conference play.
Four Spiders garnered All Conference recognition, led by lone senior Abby Oliver's first team bid. Genevieve Okoro was selected to the third team, while freshman Liz Brown garnered All Rookie accolades. Two-sport star Becca Wann was named Most Improved Player of the Year, only a few months after being touted as the Offensive Player of the Year in women's soccer.
Richmond makes its fourth-straight appearance in the WNIT after recording 20 wins for the third time in four years under head coach Michael Shafer. Only seven teams in program history have recorded 22 or more wins in a season. Richmond's eight losses are the program's fewest since the 2004-05 season. Richmond went 24-10 in 2008-09, the third best overall record in program history. The Spiders won a school-record 26 games in 1990-91.
The Spiders are 7-8 all-time in the WNIT and is making their sixth overall appearance.
Miami enters Thursday's game with a 21-9 mark. The Redhawks fell to Central Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The two teams have three common opponents (Temple, Massachusetts and Duquense). The Redhawks boast three players in double-figures, led by Courtney Osborn's 18.0 ppg.
Thursday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Should Richmond advance, it will face the winner of Virginia/Howard in the second round Mar. 17-19.
Five Atlantic 10 schools qualified for the WNIT (Richmond, Temple, Duquesne, Saint Joseph's and Charlotte).
