Missouri State (20-11, 15-3 Missouri Valley Conference) will make its fourth consecutive postseason appearance and 22nd overall in 36 Division I seasons when it visits Louisiana Tech (19-11, 10-6 Conference USA) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for a first round WNIT matchup between two storied programs.
   The Lady Bears earned the automatic bid from the MVC as the highest-finishing league school not to receive an NCAA Tournament invite.
   Missouri State is 10-6 all-time in seven trips to the WNIT, but Thursday's game will be only the third played away from Springfield.
   Louisiana Tech is making its second consecutive WNIT appearance and 29th overall postseason trip.
   MSU's
Kellie Harper is making her 11th postseason appearance in 14 seasons as a head coach, and has directed her teams to a collective 29-20 record in NCAA, WNIT and conference tournaments.
Watch Party
The Bears Fund will host a watch party in the Hospitality Room at the Meyer Alumni Center (300 S. Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806) for the game. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., and fans should park in the garage adjacent to the building on the east side. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be provided.
WNIT History
The Lady Bears are making their eighth WNIT appearance, and own a 10-6 record in the event, with 14 of those games taking place in Springfield. MSU dropped an overtime decision to Eastern Kentucky in the opening round of the 2002 meet, then swept the WNIT field with five straight victories in 2005 to claim their first national tournament title.Â
   In 2010, the Lady Bears knocked off Oral Roberts and Samford before falling to Illinois in the third round at JQH Arena, and defeated Rice before losing to Arkansas in the second round in 2011. In 2012, MSU defeated UMKC and Memphis at JQH Arena before losing at eventual champion Oklahoma State in the third round. Missouri State lost to Tulsa in the 2015 first round and at Iowa in last season's tournament opener.
The Series
The Lady Bears lead 2-1 in the all-time series between two storied programs, earning a home 62-53 home win in November 2010 and a 78-65 victory in the 2011 season opener in Ruston. The road win was notable in that LT's .869 all-time home winning percentage ranks second in NCAA history. The Lady Techsters beat MSU in the 1993 Sweet 16.
Scouting Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech is 19-11 overall and finished in a four-way tie for third in Conference USA with a 10-6 league record. Alexus Malone averages 14.6 points and 9.0 rebounds as a first-team all-conference selection, and second-team all-CUSA pick Kierra Anthony averages 14.1 points and 2.9 assists. The Lady Techsters score 66.9 points per game and allow 60.4, shooting 42.5 percent overall, 35.1 percent on 3-pointers and 68.3 percent at the foul line.
Similar Programs, Similar Histories
Missouri State and Louisiana Tech both have rich women's basketball histories:
• They are the last two non-Power Five programs to play in the Final Four - MSU in 2001 and LA Tech in 1999...Both schools have a husband and wife on the coaching staff, with Brooke and Scott Stoehr serving as co-head coaches for the Lady Techsters...MSU head coach
Kellie Harper's Tennessee team defeated Louisiana Tech in the 1998 NCAA championship game, and earned a win in Ruston the following season when LA Tech co-head coach Brooke Stoehr was a freshman for the Lady Techsters...Louisiana Tech won the only postseason meeting between the schools, 59-43 in a 1993 Sweet Sixteen game in Nacogdoches, Texas...Combined for 40 NCAA Tournament appearances and 12 Final Fours...Four coaches in the game have played in a Final Four, including Harper and Stoehr, as well as
Jackie Stiles and LA Tech assistant Lindsey Hicks, who faced off in 2001 when Missouri State and Purdue met in the national semifinal.
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