Preseason WNIT Begins Friday

BOISE, Idaho - Boise State opens the Preseason WNIT Friday night, hosting Portland State for a first-round contest at 7 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena.

Should the Broncos win, they will host the winner of Missouri State-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sunday at ExtraMile Arena at a time to be determined.

TICKET INFORMATION
Bronco fans attending Friday's first-round contest against Portland State can be rewarded for their loyalty with a Bronco win.

Not only will the Bronco Sports Pass be valid for Friday's game, and a potential Sunday quarterfinal, but fans that buy a single-game ticket for Friday will be able to use that ticket for admission Sunday, should the Broncos win and advance to host the quarterfinal.

Regular ticket prices ($6 adult GA, $4 youth/senior GA, $15 courtside) will apply for Sunday's game for anyone without a ticket from Friday's contest.

Courtside season ticket holders will also be able to use their pass for admission to a potential Sunday contest.

LAST TIME OUT
Boise State opened the new campaign with an 88-34 victory over Lewis-Clark State College Tuesday at ExtraMile Arena.

Despite a sluggish 1-for-8 start from the field, the Broncos would find their touch, going 36-for-57 (63.2 percent) the rest of the contest, finishing at 56.9 percent.

Redshirt senior guard Ellie Woerner and sophomore guard Jade Loville had big games to keep the offense afloat in the first half, as Woerner finished with a game-high 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting (3-for-3 from deep) and Loville added 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

It's college basketball Christmas, and @BroncoSportsWBB gets the win. An excellent way to begin the year, a 88-34 victory over Lewis-Clark State. @JadeLoville discussed the win and what's in-store for the season. pic.twitter.com/XwLwNFUeny
— Chris Lewis (@ChrisLewisTweet) November 6, 2019

The starters bounced back after halftime, opening up the game with an 11-0 run to start the second half. A'Shanti Coleman went on to lead the starters with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Defensively, the Broncos were all over the Warriors, forcing 29 turnovers and making 14 steals, while holding LCSC to just nine field goals and 20.9-percent shooting.

WHO'S NEXT
Portland State (1-0) visits ExtraMile Arena Friday for a first-round Preseason WNIT matchup at 7 p.m. The Vikings opened the campaign Tuesday with a 104-48 victory over Multnomah.

The Vikings captured the Big Sky Tournament title and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament last year, falling in the first round at Oregon, 78-40.

Desirae Hansen led the Vikings Tuesday with 20 points, while Tatiana Streun added a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds.

SERIES HISTORY
Boise State and Portland State have met 39 times previously, with the Broncos holding a 27-12 advantage, although Friday's meeting will be just the second since 2009.

Last time the teams played (Nov. 16, 2016, in Boise), the Broncos hit XX 3-pointers in a 94-76 win.

PRESEASON WNIT PRIMER
This season's Preseason WNIT will mark the first in which Boise State has participated.

Joining the Broncos in the 16-team field will be (in alphabetical order): Davidson, DePaul, Drexel, Miami (OH), Missouri State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Pacific, Portland State, Prairie View A&M, South Alabama, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UAB, UC Irvine, and UMKC.

Twelve of the 16 teams reached the postseason in 2018-19, with five, the Broncos included, playing in the NCAA Tournament, including Sweet 16 participants Missouri State and Oregon State. DePaul and Portland State round out the quintet.

Each team will be guaranteed three games in the 2019 Preseason WNIT, with the bracket and first-round matchups to be announced later this spring. All games take place at campus sites, with the Nov. 17 championship game slated for broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

WHAT HAPPENS IF...
Should the Broncos win Friday night, they will host the winner of Friday's Missouri State-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi contest Sunday afternoon at ExtraMile Arena.

A Bronco loss will send them to a consolation bracket at a site to be determined.

SECOND UNIT FLEX
Tuesday's contest served as a good showing of Boise State's strength on the second unit, as Ellie Woerner, Jade Loville, and Rachel Bowers combined for 35 points.

Woerner (game-high 15 points) and Loville (14) did much of their damage in the first half, combining for 18 of Boise State's 33 points on 6-for-8 shooting.

While Bowers finished the contest with six points and six rebounds, Woerner shot 6-of-7 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from deep, and Loville finished 5-for-9 with a 3-pointer.

McGWIRE MAKES LONG-AWAITED DEBUT
Redshirt junior center and Oregon transfer Mallory McGwire made her much-anticipated Boise State debut Tuesday, after sitting out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

McGwire scored the first points of the season for the Broncos, and her first points since the Spokane Regional Final against Notre Dame back on March 26, 2018, en route to finishing Tuesday with 11 points and her first-career 3-pointer.

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Players Mentioned

Rachel Bowers

A'Shanti Coleman

Jade Loville

Mallory McGwire

Ellie Woerner