The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team will go on the road and face Memphis on Thursday in the first round of the Women’s NIT. The 64-team field was announced late Monday night and a time for the game at Elma Roane Fieldhouse has not been set.
The Lady Mocs (22-9) are returning to the postseason after missing it last season for the first time since the 1998-99 season, coach Wes Moore’s first season at UTC. The program’s last WNIT appearance was in 2009, when UTC lost 81-76 at Kentucky in the first round.
UTC ordinarily would have put in a bid to host a game, but McKenzie Arena isn’t available this week because the Ringling Brothers Circus is using the facility. Moore said Monday that the earliest UTC could host a game would be the third round.
The winner of Thursday’s game will face the winner of Missouri-Kansas City at Missouri.
According to the UTC media guide, the Lady Mocs and Memphis (24-7) have not met since 1981 and UTC is 2-3 all-time against the Tigers. Both teams beat UAB (Memphis twice) and Belmont during the regular season. The Lady Mocs’ RPI ranking is 59, while Memphis’ is 80.