Tigers make WNIT in first year under Williams-Flournoy, host UAB on Wednesday

Blanche Alverson and the Auburn women’s basketball team will appear in the WNIT in the first season under coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. (Credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN – The Auburn women’s basketball team will appear in the postseason. In the first year under coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, the Tigers (16-14) will host UAB in the first round of the WNIT at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday.

“It is exciting to be able to open the WNIT at Auburn Arena because it is a place we have had so much success this year,” Williams-Flournoy said. “We have had great fan support all year long and that played a big part in our 12-3 record at home. We need our fans to get their tickets and come back out because we need an electric atmosphere for some postseason play in Auburn Arena.”

Should the Tigers win on Wednesday, they will face the winner of Western Kentucky and East Carolina in the second round.

Auburn is 8-2 all-time in the WNIT with appearances in 2003, 2007 and 2011. The Tigers won the WNIT in 2003 under Joe Ciampi and advanced to the second round in their last appearance in 2011 under Nell Fortner.

Auburn was improved in the first season under Williams-Flournoy and will finish above .500 for the first time since 2009 after a 13-17 record in 2012. Three players averaged double-figures with Hasina Muhammad leading the team with 14.3 points and Tyrese Tanner (12.9) and Blanche Alverson (12.8) were both strong contributors.

“Making the postseason in our first season here at Auburn was a goal of ours and this will be a great experience for our players as we continue to build this program back to where it should be,” Williams-Flournoy said. “You cannot simulate the tournament atmosphere and what it means to play for a championship and we are excited that our young ladies will have that opportunity.”

It was a year of mixed results though as the Tigers lost a program-record eight straight games, all in SEC play, to finish 5-11 in the conference. The No. 11 seed in the SEC Women’s Tournament, Auburn lost to sixth-seeded LSU 65-62. Auburn went 1-8 against teams in the Women’s NCAA Tournament with the lone victory coming against Tennessee-Chattanooga.

For Williams-Flournoy, this is her fifth postseason appearance in nine seasons as a head coach and her second WNIT appearance. She led Georgetown to the NCAA Tournament in 2010, 2011 and 2012 after making a WNIT Quarterfinal appearance in 2009.

Seven SEC teams were selected for the Women’s NCAA Tournament and four made the WNIT. Tennessee and Kentucky both got No. 2 seeds and Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt are in the NCAA Tourney while Arkansas, Florida and Missouri join Auburn in the WNIT.