June 13, 2007

Complete Preseason WNIT Bracket in PDF Format
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Princeton Tigers will be the Terrapin women's basketball team's first opponent of the 2007-08 campaign, when Maryland opens the Preseason WNIT on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in Comcast Center, the WNIT announced today when it released the 16-team bracket.

"We are honored to be a part of the prestigious Preseason WNIT and to be a part of this strong field of teams," said head coach Brenda Frese. "With this tournament, we will be challenged from day one and put us in a championship mentality from the start of the season."

The winner of the first-round game at Comcast Center will take on the winner of the Delaware-Delaware State matchup, also scheduled for that evening in Newark, Del. The other first-round matchups scheduled for Friday, Nov. 9 are East Tennessee State at Western Kentucky; Miami (Ohio) at Notre Dame; Samford at LSU; Radford at TCU; Marshall at Evansville; and IUPUI at Michigan State.

The WNIT has reformatted the tournament, with every team guaranteed at least three games. The eight round-one winners advance in traditional bracket play until the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 18. The first-round losers drop to the first consolation bracket, forming two four-team pools and play two more games to guarantee the three contests. The quarterfinal losers from the winners bracket fall to a second consolation bracket for their third games.

Round two will be Nov. 11-13, with the semifinals occurring Nov. 14-15. The consolation quads will be played Nov. 16-17. Round two loses will play their final game Nov. 16 or Nov. 17 at separate sites. All games are played on campus sites and will be determined after each round.

Nine of the 16 teams in the Preseason WNIT field made postseason appearances in 2006-07, including eight, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Maryland and possible semifinal opponent Notre Dame have won NCAA titles.

The Terps are making their second appearance in the Preseason WNIT and the first since 1994, when Virginia Tech handed Maryland a 68-53 defeat in the first round.

It will be the first-ever meeting against the Tigers, who were 13-15 in 2006-07. The Terps were 28-6, for their third-straight 20-win campaign.

Season ticket packages for the 2007-08 season, which include Preseason WNIT tickets and tickets to the Big Ten/ACC Challenge which was announced in May, can be purchased by stop by the Comcast Center Ticket Office or calling 1-800-IM-A-TERP. Tickets can also be bought online at www.umterps.com.

For more information on the Preseason WNIT and a complete bracket, www.womensnit.com.

First-round Preseason WNIT Games
All 2006-2007 team records in parentheses

Friday, Nov. 9, 2007
Princeton (13-15) at Maryland (28-6), 7 p.m.
Delaware State (20-13) at Delaware (26-6), TBA
ETSU (20-12) at Western Kentucky (23-9), TBA
Miami , Ohio (12-18) at Notre Dame (20-12), TBA
Samford (18-13) at LSU (30-8), TBA
Radford (20-11) at TCU (21-11), TBA
Marshall (15-15) at Evansville (19-12), TBA
IUPUI (14-16) at Michigan State (24-9), TBA

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