Auburn Women's Basketball Selection To WNIT | Schools

AUBURN – The Auburn women’s basketball team will head to the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years as the Tigers (15-15) travel to Tennessee Tech (23-7) for the first round of the WNIT. The start time for Thursday’s game is yet to be determined.

“We are looking forward to playing in the WNIT,” said Auburn head coach Nell Fortner. “It will be a great experience for our team and we are excited to keep the season going.

“Tennessee Tech is a very good team. They won their conference this year and are accustomed to winning. It will definitely be a challenge to go up there and play them on their home court.”

The Golden Eagles, the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion, posted a 15-3 league record. Tennessee Tech advanced to the championship game of the OVC Tournament, falling to the University of Tennessee at Martin, 82-76.

Tacarra Hayes, an All-OVC First Team selection and the OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, leads Tennessee Tech in scoring with 16.8 points per game while also pulling down a team-high 7.7 boards per game. The Golden Eagles are led by OVC Coach of the Year Sytia Messer, who is in her second season with the team.

Auburn and Tennessee Tech have met five times before with the Tigers holding a 4-1 advantage. The last meeting was a 73-54 Auburn win on March 18, 1990 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The lone loss to the Golden Eagles was a 77-60 decision on Dec. 21, 1989 in the UNLV Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev.

 This will be the third time for Auburn and Tennessee Tech to face off in Cookeville, Tenn., with Auburn holding a 2-0 series lead.

 Auburn is making its fourth postseason appearance under head coach Nell Fortner. The Tigers advanced to the WNIT quarterfinals in 2007 before making back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.

 This is Auburn’s third appearance in the WNIT after also appearing in 2003 and 2007. The Tigers have a 7-1 record in the WNIT after winning the tournament championship in 2003.

 For more information on the WNIT, go to www.womensnit.com. For game time and ticket information, access Tennessee Tech’s website at www.TTUSports.com.