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Lady Hilltoppers Begin WNIT Play Thursday vs. East Carolina

Michelle Clark-Heard at her introductory WKU news conference in March
Michelle Clark-Heard at her introductory WKU news conference in March

Western Kentucky University will host East Carolina at E.A. Diddle Arena Thursday night in the first round of the 2013 Women's National Invitational Tournament. It's the 26th postseason bid for the Lady Toppers in the last 30 seasons.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. central time.

WKU is one of four Sun Belt Conference teams to reach the NCAA Tournament or WNIT this postseason. They faced six teams on nine occasions during the 2012-13 season that reached one of the two tournaments. The Lady Toppers are 29-27 in postseason play in the school's history, owning a winning record all-time in both the NCAA Tournament and in WNIT play.

East Carolina is 22-9 on the year and finished 11-5 in their Conference USA. The Pirates have four players averaging between 9.6 and 12 points per game this season.

In her first year as coach of the Lady Toppers, head coach Michelle Clark-Heard led WKU to 12 additional wins over last season, tying the Sun Belt Conference record for largest winning improvement. She was named the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.