St. John's University Athletics
Women's Basketball Earns Berth To Postseason WNIT
3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 17, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's basketball team has earned an at-large bid to the 2009 Postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), as announced by the organization Monday night.
STJ will host Harvard in the opening round at 7 p.m. on Friday at Carnesecca Arena. The winner of the contest will travel to face Hartford on March 22 at 4 p.m.
The Red Storm enters the game with a 17-14, 4-12 BIG EAST slate, including upsetting Syracuse, 63-61, in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship on March 6. The Crimson sports a 19-9, 11-3 Ivy League record and has won six of its last seven games. This is the first meeting between the teams.
STJ is one of six BIG EAST teams selected to the field of 48 for the WNIT, which includes USF, defending champion Marquette, Syracuse, West Virginia and Georgetown. In total, the league has 13 of its member institutions participating in postseason play.
The WNIT berth is the second-straight and the third in five years for the Red Storm. Additionally, the postseason appearance is the fourth for St. John's under the direction of head coach Kim Barnes Arico. In only her seventh year, Barnes Arico's four postseason berths are the most by a Red Storm women's coach since Dom Perrelli led STJ to five from 1979-84.
Last season, the Red Storm clinched an at-large bid and earned a first-round bye in the WNIT. STJ rattled off wins over Iona, 65-59, and Boston College, 65-56, to advance to the quarterfinals against NC State. The Wolfpack came away with the close 63-61 win on March 30, 2008.
