Complete WNIT Bracket

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Late Monday (March 18) evening, the 2013 Postseason WNIT bracket was released and the IUPUI women’s basketball team will head to Normal, Ill. on Thursday, March 21, to take on Illinois State in the opening round.

Thursday’s game time between the Jags and Redbirds will be announced on Tuesday, March 19.

“Obviously we are thrilled to be a part of the WNIT. The kids have been anxiously waiting to find out who we will play and now that we know, we can begin preparing,” head coach Austin Parkinson said. “Illinois State has had an outstanding season and will be a tremendous challenge on Thursday.”

Thursday’s game will mark the first postseason appearance for the Jags since joining the Division-I ranks. The Jaguars last postseason appearance was during the 1994-95 campaign.

The WNIT features six rounds, which culminates on Saturday, April 6, with the championship game, which will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network. All games will be hosted by participating schools.

IUPUI posted a 20-11 record this season, its first 20-win season since the 1990-91 campaign. Amongst those 20 wins were a program-record 12 Summit League wins, including a regular-season sweep over Summit League Tournament Champion South Dakota State.

After Parkinson directed the Jags to a second-place finish in the conference after being picked to finish fifth in the Summit League Preseason Poll, the third-year head coach was named Summit League Coach of the Year.

The Jags were led offensively this season by First-Team All-Summit League and Summit League All-Tournament Team selection Kerah Nelson, who averaged 13.6 ppg and 6.4 ppg this season. In the Summit League Tournament Nelson averaged 25.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg on 56.0 percent (18-of-32) shooting from the floor.

Additionally, DeAirra Goss was a Second-Team All-Summit League honoree and a Summit League All-Newcomer Team selection, while Dee-Dee Bellamy was named Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.

Illinois State posted a 23-10 record this season and finished third in the Missouri Valley Conference in the regular season with a 13-5 mark. The Redbirds fell short of an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament when they fell to Wichita State, 69-65, in the championship game of their conference tournament.

The Redbirds have three players scoring in double figures led by Jamie Russell’s 14.5 ppg. Janae Smith and Candace Sykes are the other double-figure scorers for Illinois State averaging 13.4 ppg and 13.1 ppg, respectively, while Smith leads the team in rebounding averaging 8.1 rpg.

The Jags and Redbirds have met twice all-time with Illinois State winning both meetings. The last time the two schools squared off was on Dec. 16, 2003, with the Redbirds claiming an 81-67 win in The Jungle.