MISSOULA — Montana State has received a first-round bye in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
The bracket was released Monday and shows the Bobcats playing a second-round game against either San Francisco or Utah Valley. The Dons (18-14) will host the Wolverines (16-14) in a first-round game Thursday.
The second round is scheduled for March 22-24 and the host sites will be determined after the first-round games. The first round runs through Saturday.
Montana State, which automatically qualified for the WNIT after not being selected for the NCAA Tournament or Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), is one 16 teams to receive a first-round bye in the WNIT. If the Bobcats win their second-round game, they would advance to the Super 16, which is scheduled to be played March 25-27.
Montana State is making its fourth WNIT appearance and seeking its first win in the tournament. The Cats are winless in their previous five WNIT games, including going 0-3 in a round-robin regional in 1988. They also played in the WNIT in 2003 and 2016.
This year's Bobcats are 25-7. They went 16-2 in Big Sky play to earn the league's No. 2 seed for the conference tournament.
At the Big Sky postseason tournament, Montana State defeated Montana 78-57 in the second round and Eastern Washington 79-77 (in overtime) in the semifinals. The Bobcats lost to Idaho 60-57 in the championship. The Vandals earned the Big Sky's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play Oklahoma in a first-round game.
Joining Montana State in the WNIT field is Northern Colorado, which was the No. 3 seed in the Big Sky this season. The Bears will play Air Force in the first round.
Southern Utah, which will be joining the Big Sky next season, and Pepperdine, which is coached by former Montana Lady Griz star Katie (neé Baker) Faulkner, are also in the tournament. Faulkner and the Waves will host UC Davis in a first-round game, with the winner advancing to the second round to face SOU.
