The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team will host SMU in the first round of the WNIT Thursday at the Thomas Assembly Center. Tech's appearance in the postseason WNIT will be the program's first.
Louisiana Tech (20-12) earned the automatic bid out of the WAC by virtue of its share of the WAC regular-season championship. Although the Lady Techsters fell to Nevada 91-88 in overtime in the semifinals of the 2009 WAC Tournament last week, they earned the spot in the WNIT after top-seed Fresno State captured the WAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The Techsters are led by WAC Player of the Year Shanavia Dowdell, who averages 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds, and first-team all-WAC pick Adrienne Johnson, who adds 15.3 points and 7.1 boards.
SMU (20-11, 12-4 CUSA) was the Conference USA regular-season champion, but lost to Central Florida in the semifinals of the CUSA Tournament.
Tech leads the all-time series against SMU 17-0, including a 9-0 mark in Ruston. The winner of the contest between Louisiana Tech and SMU will go on the raod to face Illinois State in the second round. The Redbirds were the regular-season champion out of the Missouri Valley Conference but lost to Evansville in the league tournament.