Inaugural WBI Field Announced
The inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational, set to begin Wednesday, March. 17, features a strong field of BCS conference schools, 20-game winners and solid mid-major programs. The 16-team field is headlined by #1 seeds Memphis in the West and Appalachian State in the East. All eight first round games will be played on campus sites either March 17 or 18 with the winners advancing to the second round on March 20 or 21. The WBI semifinals are March 24 or 25 on campus sites with the championship game slated for March 28 or 29 at the site of the highest remaining seed.
In the West bracket, #1 seed Memphis, who posted a 17-13 record while competing in Conference USA, will host #8 seed UMKC at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 17. #4 seed Wichita State of the Missouri Valley Conference will host fellow mid-major power and #5 seed Akron at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 18.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a 22-win team from the Southland Conference, is the #2 seed in the West and will play host to #7 seed Cal-State Bakersfield at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. In the West’s final pairing, #3 Washington of the Pac 10 Conference will host the West Coast Conference Portland Pilots at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Appalachian State, a 19-game winner from the Southern Conference, earned the #1 seed in the East but will travel to #8 seed Charleston Southern due to a scheduling conflict. The ASU-CSU matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday. Towson, the #4 seed will travel to #5 seed Fairfield in a battle of east coast mid-majors and the two teams will also play Thursday at 7 p.m.
The bottom of the East bracket is highlighted by another Southern Conference team as College of Charleston earned the #2 seed. C of C won 19 games during the regular but due to a facility conflict will travel to #7 seed Morehead State for a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday. The final first round matchup features 2009 NCAA National Runner-up and #3 seed Louisville hosting #6 seed Bradley, a 16 win team from the Missouri Valley Conference. The Louisville-Bradley game is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The higher seeds will host each game unless a scheduling or facility conflict forces the game to the lower seed. All game times posted are local to the site. Please check the official WBI website www.womensbasketballinvitational.com for the full bracket and more information or follow the tournament on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WBI2010.