DATE: March 16, 2003 

NEWARK, DE - The University of Delaware women's basketball team has accepted a bid into the 2002-03 Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) and will travel to Philadelphia to take Saint Joseph's for its first round game this Wednesday night, March 19. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

The game will be broadcast live on the Blue Hen Radio Network on WRDX 94.7 and WJBR AM 1290 with Mike Corey and Bill Komissaroff calling the action. The game will also be tentatively heard on the UD student station, WVUD 91.3 FM. At this time, no television coverage has been confirmed.

The Blue Hens (22-8, 15-3 CAA) are coming off their fourth-consecutive 20-win season and have now reached the post-season in each of the last three years under head coach Tina Martin. Delaware defeated Vermont to capture the America East Tournament crown in 2001 to earn the school's first-ever bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to N.C. State, 76-57.

Last season, Delaware posted a 23-7 mark last season to earn its first-ever a trip to the WNIT, where it fell to George Washington by a 78-71 score in Washington, DC.

Saint Joseph's, which is also making its second straight post-season NIT appearance, posted an 18-10 overall record this season and won the Atlantic 10 Eastern Division regular season title with a record of 13-3 in league play. The Hawks are led by 2003 A-10 Coach of the Year Kathy Griffin and by Irina Krasnoshiiok (14.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Erin Brady (11.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg). The Hawks played eight NCAA Tournament teams this season, defeating Boston University and Xavier.

Saint Joseph's owns a perfect 9-0 record against the Blue Hens, with its last win coming back on December 19, 1995, when the Hawks handed Delaware a 77-67 loss. That season marked the last for Delaware under former head coach Joyce Perry, as Martin took over the reigns of the program in May, 1996.

Delaware, which has won six of its last seven games and 10 of its last 12, enters the tournament off the heels of a 66-58 loss in the championship game of the Colonial Athletic Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Delaware's first team All-CAA guard Allison Trapp poured in 28 points in the loss, including the 1,000th point of her three-year Blue Hen career. She leads the team with 16.6 points per game and is helped out by second team All-CAA forward Tiara Malcom who has posted 12.9 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per contest.

The winner of the Saint Joseph's vs.Delaware game will meet the winner of the Richmond vs. Georgetown game at a date and site to be determined after each first round game is completed.

Other NIT First-Round Matchups:

Wednesday, March 19

Delaware (22-8) at Saint Joseph's (18-10)

Western Illinois (21-8) at Missouri (15-13)

South Alabama (19-10) at Auburn (18-11)

Thursday, March 20

Hawaii (16-12) at Arizona State (15-13)

Northern Iowa (18-10) at Baylor (20-10)

St. Louis (17-13) at Iowa (16-14),

Marquette (15-13) at Toledo (20-9)

Creighton (21-8) at Maine (25-5)

Seton Hall (14-14) at Siena (24-7)

Georgetown (15-13) at Richmond (19-10)

Florida International (19-10) at Florida State (16-12)

Friday, March 21

UNLV (17-11) at Oregon State (14-14)

Santa Clara (20-10) at Fresno State (18-11)

Montana (20-8) at Wyoming (17-11)

Montana State (20-7) at Colorado State(18-11)

Ball State (19-8) at Indiana State (21-7)