LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the first time since 2018, ETSU women’s basketball is postseason bound.
The Bucs learned their fate late Sunday night as the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) announced ETSU as part of its eight-team field. The tournament will take place in Lexington, Kentucky, from March 17-19. All games will be hosted at the Clive M. Beck Center on the campus of Transylvania University.
The tournament will run in standard multi-team event (MTE) format, guaranteeing three games for all eight participants.
“We are excited to get an invite from the WBI and have the opportunity to play three more games in this memorable season,” said first-year ETSU head coach Brenda Mock Brown. “In this past week of preparation as we anticipated a postseason opportunity, I have seen some of the highest levels of competition among our players since the beginning of the season. It was an indication of the hunger they have to continue the season and an appreciation for the rare air of postseason that we are in.
“We realize only 140 out of 361 NCAA Division I programs are still playing this time of year, and our aim is to make every minute count and continue representing ETSU in the best manner possible in the WBI. Our kids and staff have worked hard for the past seven months, and it’s gratifying to see them rewarded.”
The Bucs will start the tournament on Friday, March 17, at 12 p.m. against Florida International. Other participants include New Mexico State, UIC, California Baptist, North Dakota, Georgia Southern and Northern Illinois.
This year marks ETSU’s first postseason appearance — beyond the conference tournament — since facing James Madison (JMU) in the first round of the 2018 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) in Harrisburg, Virginia.
The Bucs are enjoying a stellar 2022-23 season, which includes the largest turnaround in all of NCAA Division I women’s basketball. After going 6-22 last season, the Blue & Gold finished with a 23-9 record this season. This record is tied for the best in program history alongside the 2009-10 team that last appeared in the NCAA tournament.
More information on ETSU’s first round matchup with FIU will be released later in the week.