2008 Women's National Invitation Tournament

The 2008 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 48 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. The 40th annual tournament was played from March 19, 2008 to April 5, 2008, entirely on campus sites. The highest ranked team in each conference that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the WNIT Selection Committee. Marquette defeated Michigan State 81–66 to win the tournament.

Contents

Seeding

Teams are not seeded in the WNIT. Rather, teams are placed into one of three tiers. Teams in the upper tier are spread around the bracket as best as possible, although not every upper tier team receives a first round bye. Lower tier and middle tier teams tend to meet in the first round, while upper tier teams will usually play winners of first round games in the second round. The organizers attempt to bracket the first two rounds based on geography. The location of games is determined in part by seed, but also by facility availability and other factors.[1]

Bracket

Section 1

  Round 1
March 19–22		 Round 2
March 22–25		 Round 3
March 26–28		 Quarterfinals
March 29–31
                                     
        
   Texas Tech* 82  
     Texas State 49  
 Prairie View 83
 Texas State* 84  
   Texas Tech* 74  
   TCU 81  
        
        
   TCU* 85
     Boise State 56  
 Idaho State 54
 Boise State* 77  
   TCU 90
   Colorado* 96†
        
        
   Colorado* 82
     Gonzaga 68  
 UC Davis 60
 Gonzaga* 81  
   Colorado* 64
   Villanova 58  
        
        
   Wisconsin* 54
     Villanova 60  
 American 52
 Villanova* 53  

Note: Asterisk denotes home team. † denotes overtime.

Section 2

  Round 1
March 19–22		 Round 2
March 21–25		 Round 3
March 26–28		 Quarterfinals
March 29–31
                                     
        
   Marquette* 75†  
     Creighton 69  
 Creighton 76
 South Dakota State* 69  
   Marquette* 72  
   Illinois 64  
        
        
   Illinois* 48
     Drake 44  
 Wisconsin-Green Bay 56
 Drake* 65  
   Marquette 69
   Kentucky* 64
        
        
   Kentucky* 68†
     Middle Tennessee 66  
 Western Carolina 69
 Middle Tennessee* 104  
   Kentucky* 84
   James Madison 76  
        
        
   Indiana* 81
     James Madison 86†  
 Radford 58
 James Madison* 80  

Note: Asterisk denotes home team. † denotes overtime.

Section 3

  Round 1
March 19–22		 Round 2
March 22–25		 Round 3
March 26–28		 Quarterfinals
March 29–31
                                     
        
   Michigan* 75  
     VCU 57  
 VCU 80
 Charlotte* 67  
   Michigan* 59  
   Southern Miss 45  
        
        
   Mississippi State 61
     Southern Miss* 62  
 Arkansas-Little Rock 57
 Southern Miss* 67  
   Michigan 40
   Michigan State* 45†
        
        
   Kansas* 82
     Evansville 60  
 Southeast Missouri State 58
 Evansville* 60  
   Kansas 54
   Michigan State* 58  
        
        
   Michigan State* 74
     Bowling Green 66  
 Dayton 52
 Bowling Green* 64  

Note: Asterisk denotes home team. † denotes overtime.

Section 4

  Round 1
March 19–22		 Round 2
March 22–25		 Round 3
March 26–28		 Quarterfinals
March 29–31
                                     
        
   St. John's* 65  
     Iona 59  
 Iona 71
 Quinnipiac* 59  
   St. John's* 65  
   Boston College 56  
        
        
   Boston College* 76
     Vermont 64  
 Dartmouth 50
 Vermont* 69  
   St. John's 61
   NC State* 63
        
        
   NC State* 72
     South Carolina 69  
 North Carolina A&T 74
 South Carolina* 102  
   NC State* 80
   Florida 55  
        
        
   Florida* 60
     Florida Gulf Coast 55  
 South Florida 65
 Florida Gulf Coast* 67  

Note: Asterisk denotes home team

Semifinals and finals

  Semifinals
April 2		 Finals
April 5
                 
 Colorado* 72  
 Marquette 86  
     Marquette 81
   Michigan State* 66
 Michigan State* 58
 NC State 57  

Note: Asterisk denotes home team

References

  1. ^ Postseason WNIT
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
2010, 2011, 2012