March 13, 2006

LAS VEGAS -

2006 WNIT Bracket
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The UNLV women's basketball team received a postseason bid for the sixth straight season on Monday, as the Lady Rebels will play in the 2006 Postseason Women's NIT. UNLV will open play in the tournament in the first round on Saturday, March 18, against the winner of Thursday's preliminary round contest between UC Santa Barbara and Fresno State. The location for Saturday's game is still to be determined.

UNLV, who finished sixth in the Mountain West with an 18-11 overall record and a 9-7 conference mark, will play in the WNIT for the fifth time in the last six years, and eighth in school history. The Lady Rebels turned in their best WNIT finish in 2004, winning four games to reach the championship game before falling at Creighton in the finals. In last year's tournament, UNLV fell at Arkansas in the first round 61-48.

Fresno State is 22-7 overall, and is just one win away from a school record. The Bulldogs finished 14-2 in the WAC, but were knocked out of the tournament semifinals 74-66 by Boise State. UC Santa Barbara meanwhile received an automatic bid to the WNIT after winning the Big West but falling in the conference tournament to eventual champion UC Riverside. The Gauchos are 16-13 overall, and were 10-4 in conference play.

The winner of Saturday's game will take on the winner of the Idaho State-Kansas State matchup in the second round at a time and location to be determined after both games are completed.

The WNIT features 40 teams in a single-elimination format, with all games hosted by participating schools at on-campus sites.