Western Kentucky University will host East Carolina at E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday, March 21, 2013 in the first round of the 2013 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. It is the 26th postseason bid for the Lady Toppers in the last 30 seasons.
“We are excited about the opportunity to host an opening round game of the 2013 WNIT,” said head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. “Our players and staff have worked extremely hard to be in this position to put together a successful postseason run and we look forward to that challenge. I am excited to have the chance to coach again in front of our home fans in Diddle this season. We are looking forward to having a big crowd as it can definitely help us play well.”
WKU has a proud tradition of postseason excellence, having reached the postseason in 26 of the last 30 seasons. When the Lady Toppers take the floor this week, WKU will be seeking the program’s 30th all-time postseason win. WKU is 29-27 in postseason play in the school’s history, owning a winning record all-time in both the NCAA Tournament and in WNIT play at 17-16 and 12-11 respectively.
WKU is one of four Sun Belt Conference teams to reach the NCAA Tournament or WNIT this postseason. The Lady Toppers faced six teams on nine occasions during the 2012-13 season that reached the one of the two tournaments.
“This is a great chance for our team to get some more practices in and play more basketball,” said Clark-Heard. “We are one of the select teams in the country that have a chance to keep playing this season, so we are very lucky to have that opportunity. The opportunity ahead of us on Thursday night is a huge one and I look forward to it.”
East Carolina is 22-9 on the year and finished 11-5 in Conference USA. The Pirates have four players averaging between 9.6 and 12.0 points per game this season.
In her first year as coach of the Lady Toppers, Clark-Heard engineered one of the nation’s best turnarounds. She led WKU to 12 additional wins over the prior season, tying the Sun Belt Conference record for largest winning improvement. She also helped WKU to eight additional conference wins over the prior season, tying the league record. Following the regular season, she was named the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.
The game will mark Clark-Heard’s head coaching debut in the postseason. She has enjoyed great success in the postseason during her coaching career, including reaching the 2009 NCAA National Championship game while an assistant at Louisville with a roster that included the first pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, Angel McCoughtry. At Louisville, Clark-Heard helped lead the Cards to a 10-5 record in postseason play over five years.
Led by sophomores Alexis Govan and Chastity Gooch, WKU enters postseason play with a 21-10 overall record, including a 13-7 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. Govan, one of the top scorers in program history, averaged 20.1 points per game this season. Govan reached a major milestone in WKU’s semifinal appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Championships by reaching the 600-point mark for the season. She became the 21st player in the combined history of Lady Topper Basketball and Hilltopper Basketball to reach the mark in a single season and the 10th Lady Topper to reach the mark. Gooch, the school’s single-season leader in double-doubles, was named the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year earlier this month. Gooch averaged 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game this year.
Tickets for the opening round game of the 2013 WNIT in E.A. Diddle Arena will be available beginning Tuesday, March 19, 2013 in the WKU Ticket Office at 8:00 a.m. CT. The ticket office is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are $12 for reserved seating, $6 for youth (ages 3 through 12) and $6 for WKU students with a valid student identification card. Tickets can be purchased through the WKU Ticket Office by calling 270-745-5222 or 1-800-5-BIG-RED. Tickets can also be ordered online at www.wkusports.com.
Parking for the opening round of the Women’s NIT will be regulated in the same way that all regular season games were. Passes from season ticket holders will be also be honored during the opening round of the Women’s NIT for parking.
For complete coverage of Lady Topper Basketball, visit www.wkusports.com.