The Old Dominion women’s basketball team will have at least one more game this season. The Monarchs hope one becomes five.
ODU accepted one of the 48 spots in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and gained a bye to the round of 32.
Coach DeLisha Milton-Jones’ Monarchs (22-9), who finished fourth in the Sun Belt regular season and lost a semifinal to eventual champion Marshall, won’t play their first WNIT game until at least Saturday, and it likely will be later than that.
ODU’s opponent will be the winner of Friday’s 7 p.m. game pitting rivals from the same city: UNC Greensboro at North Carolina A&T. UNCG is coached by Newport News native Trina Patterson, a former ODU assistant and William & Mary head coach.
The WNIT website said that teams that receive first-round byes are not guaranteed to play at home in the second round.
After the NCAA Tournament’s 68 teams were announced, the new, NCAA-funded Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament filled the next 32 spots. Miami withdrew from that bracket and was replaced by ODU’s main rival, James Madison.
The WNIT then put together its field, inviting teams Sunday but not revealing matchups until Monday. Most of the early contests are geographically convenient.
ODU’s fellow Sun Belt members Southern Mississippi, Troy and Louisiana Monroe are in the WNIT. So is Saint Louis, one of whose standout guards is Ocean Lakes High graduate Kyla McMakin. The Billikens will play at Central Arkansas on Thursday night.
