UW-Milwaukee To Face Oklahoma In Preseason Women's NIT

July 7, 2005

Milwaukee, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team will face Oklahoma in the 2005 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Panthers recently agreed to be a part of the 16-team event and learned their first-round opponent today.

The contest between the Panthers and Sooners will be played Nov. 11 in Norman.

Oklahoma finished 17-13 last season, falling to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Sooners will be led by Second Team All-Big 12 forward Leah Rush and return eight of their top 10 players. The game should also enjoy an entertaining atmosphere, with Oklahoma averaging 5,695 fans per game a season ago.

The Panthers finished 14-14 a season ago and bring back All-Horizon League performers Nichole Drummond and Molly O'Brien among 14 returning letterwinners.

"This is an exciting opportunity for our team to face one of the top programs in the country," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "There is no question we have drawn a tough first-round opponent, but I am also sure my team will be up to the challenge. We have always felt that playing a difficult non-conference schedule was important in getting ready for Horizon League play, and our participation in the Preseason NIT is only making that pre-conference schedule stronger."

The winner of the contest between UWM and Oklahoma advances to a second-round game Nov. 13, facing either Louisiana-Lafayette or SMU. The semifinals will be played Nov. 16 or 17 with the title game Nov. 20 or 21.The full field in highlighted by UCONN, one of nine teams in the tournament that played in the post-season a year ago. Last year, Notre Dame beat Ohio State, 66-62, in the title game.