Oakland’s women’s basketball team will host the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the WNIT Tournament this Thursday at the O’rena, the tournament committee announced on Monday. Oakland makes its first appearance in the WNIT while it is the fourth time Kentucky has been invited.

This marks the first-ever game between Oakland and Kentucky. The Golden Grizzlies posted a 19-12 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the Mid-Continent Conference to win the regular season title. OU played its way to the championship game of the Mid-Con Tournament, but fell to Oral Roberts in the title game. Meanwhile the Wildcats registered an 18-13 overall record and a 10-5 mark in the SEC to finish seventh. Kentucky advanced to the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament where it fell to Georgia by a 72-40 margin.

OU students along with faculty, staff and their families can get free admission to the game courtesy of OU Student Congress and the Alumni Association. Tickets are available from the Center for Student Activities Service Window in the lower level of the Oakland Center. For more information, call (248) 370-2400.

The first 500 fans at the game will receive free admission. Tickets for the game are all general admission and are available at $7 for adults and $4 for students. Tickets information can be obtained by calling the Oakland ticket office at (248) 370-4000. Doors to the O'rena will open at 6 p.m.

A tailgate will be held in the driveway in front of the O'rena beginning at 6 p.m. Free hot dogs, popcorn and pop will be available.

For the first time in WNIT history the field will contain 48 teams, 16 of which will receive byes through the first round. There will be 16 games in the first round, 16 games in the second, eight in the third, four quarterfinal matches, two semifinal contests and the championship game. Each of the 31 Division I conferences will send a representative to the tournament.

Oakland earned a spot in the tournament under a new format utilized by the WNIT awarding an automatic bid to a team that wins its league’s regular season title but is upset in its conference tournament. The Golden Grizzlies won their third regular season crown with a 12-2 record in league play, including a perfect 7-0 record on the road.

The Golden Grizzlies are led by All-Conference first team players Nicole Piggott and Jessica Pike. Piggott leads the team and is second in the league in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game. She also leads OU in rebounding with 5.5 boards per game. The sophomore Pike is second on the team and third in the league in scoring with 13.7 points per game and is among the league leaders in field goal percentage and three-point shooting.

OU’s lineup is bolstered by All-Newcomer selections Hanna Reising and Melissa Jeltema who are third and fourth respectively on the team in scoring. Reising earned a spot in the starting lineup early in the season and averages 9.0 points per game while posing a threat from three-point range. Jeltema averages 7.0 points per game off the bench and is deft at grabbing rebounds, especially under the offensive basket.

Head Coach Beckie Francis was named Mid-Con Coach of the Year for guiding Oakland to its third regular season title after the Golden Grizzlies were predicted to finish sixth in the preseason poll. It is the second time that Francis has garnered coach of the year accolades as she won the award in 1999-00, OU’s first in the Mid-Con after joining Division I.

For more information on WNIT events at Oakland University, and about the team’s participation in the tournament, visit OU’s 2007 WNIT Web page.