— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall’s women’s basketball team will continue on with postseason play.
The Herd received a bit to the WNIT on Sunday and learned Monday it has a first-round bye in the 48-team event.
Marshall (23-9, 13-5) will face the winner of Ohio-UMBC, which is being played Thursday in Athens, Ohio.
While Marshall has never faced UMBC, there is a lengthy series history with Ohio, which has won 28 of 45 previous meetings.
UMBC (16-14) suffered an overtime loss to Vermont in an America East semifinal, while Ohio (18-13) was handled by Miami Ohio, 80-52, in a Mid-American Conference semifinal.
Marshall’s 23 wins this season are the third-most in a single season in program history. The team more than doubled its regular season win total in conference play from last year and has won eight more games than in Juli Fulks’ first season as Herd head coach.
Marshall lost to South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, 73-58. The Jaguars as well as Arkansas State are other Sun Belt programs among the WNIT field.
Marshall also took part in the 2016 WNIT, losing a first round game at Ohio, 76-68.
The Herd has made six postseason appearances, including the NCAA Tournament twice.
“Our team worked incredibly hard to earn an opportunity to compete in the WNIT and we’re especially excited that our seniors get the chance to continue representing everything they’ve helped build in this program,” Fulks said. “We’re proud to represent Marshall University and our community, who have supported this team all season long.
“Most importantly, we’re grateful for our fans and look forward to competing hard and making a run in the tournament together.”
The WNIT appearance allows Marshall’s six seniors at least one more game together.
The group is led by first-team All-Sun Belt Conference guard and league Newcomer of the Year Timaya Lewis-Eutsey. In-state natives Peyton Ilderton and Meredith Maier are also among the group and have spent the entirety of their college careers in Huntington.
A trio of later arrivals — Blessing King, Aarionna Redman and TreShondra Williams — round out the team’s senior class.