The University of Tulsa women's basketball team is one of 16 teams from around the nation chosen to compete in the 2002 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
Tulsa, which completed the 2001-02 campaign with the best season in school history of 17-13, will make its first-ever appearance in the preseason tournament. Tulsa will open the season in Springfield, Mo., against Southwest Missouri State on Nov. 15, the earliest start for a season in school history.
The field for the prestigious tournament that kicks off the women's college basketball season includes teams expected to be ranked in the Top 25 such as Kansas State, Penn State, Colorado State and Mississippi State. All games will be played on home campuses, which are determined after each round.
The tournament opens Friday, Nov. 15, with second-round games on Nov. 17, semifinals on Nov. 20, and the championship on Nov. 24.
The event features 12 teams who played in the postseason last season: Kansas State, Colorado State, Penn State, Mississippi State, Syracuse, Bucknell, Ball State, Georgia Tech, San Francisco, Southern Cal, Siena and Southwest Missouri State.
In last year's tournament, top-ranked University of Connecticut began its undefeated season by winning the Preseason WNIT title with a victory over No.3 Vanderbilt.
First-round games:
Ball State at Kansas State
North Carolina-Charlotte at Georgia Tech
San Francisco at Colorado State
Bucknell at Penn State
Northern Arizona at Southern Cal
Syracuse at Siena
South Alabama at Mississippi State
Tulsa at Southwest Missouri State