March 17, 2009
Center Valley, Pa.--The American University women's basketball team has earned a bid to the upcoming WNIT Tournament. The Eagles will face James Madison on Friday, March 20 in Harrisonburg, Va. Tip time is still to be determined. The match-up is one of the 16 first round matchups in the 48-team WNIT field.
American (19-11, 9-5 Patriot League) will be making its second-consecutive postseason appearance. This marks the first time in program history that American has earned postseason bids in back-to-back years. Last season, the Eagles fell 53-52 to Villanova in the first round of the WNIT.
This is the fourth time AU has reached postseason play in program history. The Eagles also made WNIT appearances in 1973, 1998 and 2008.
The Eagles are led by First Team All-Patriot League selection Michelle Kirk, who averages 13.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Junior Nicole Ryan scores 11.5 points per game, while sophomore Liz Leer chips in 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. The freshmen duo of Ebony Edwards and Lisa Strack were both named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team.
James Madison finished with a 23-9 regular season record, including a 14-4 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Dukes were the third seed in the recent CAA Tournament, and lost 64-58 in the finals to top-seeded Drexel. James Madison will be making its fourth consecutive postseason appearance. Sophomore guard Dawn Evans is second in the nation in scoring with 23.9 points per game.
The Eagles and Dukes have met on 47 previous occasions, and James Madison holds a 37-10 advantage. The Dukes have won the last eight meetings, with the most recent match-up taking place on December 28, 2004 (a 63-61 James Madison victory). American recorded its last win against the Dukes on January 1, 1999 by the score of 61-59.
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