Western Kentucky’s basketball season will continue in E.A. Diddle Arena, with a home game against Boston College in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at 7 p.m Tuesday.
The fourth-seeded Hilltoppers will welcome fifth-seeded Boston College for WKU’s first home postseason game since an 88-80 overtime win over Kent State in the 2005 NIT, which was also their last victory in the event.
Single-game tickets for Tuesday’s matchup will be available online at WKUTickets.com. Chairback seats will be $25, while bleacher seating will be $15. Student tickets are free courtesy of WKU Athletics.
This is the first postseason tournament berth since 2013 for the Hilltoppers (24-10), who fell to Marshall 67-66 in Saturday’s Conference USA Championship final.
WKU has made 13 previous appearances in the NIT, most recently in 2006. The Hilltoppers have a 9-14 overall record in the event, including three top-four finishes between 1942-54.
This will be the sixth NIT appearance in head coach Rick Stansbury’s career. Stansbury’s teams at Mississippi State competed in the NIT five times, including a semifinal trip to New York in 2007. Stansbury has a 6-5 overall record in the NIT, including a 3-2 mark in the first round.
Stansbury’s teams have competed in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT in 12 of his 16 seasons as a head coach.
Boston College (19-15) fell 90-82 to Clemson in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament last week.
WKU has faced the Eagles just once before, a 74-68 win in the Cotton States Classic on Dec. 29, 1982 in Atlanta, Ga. The Hilltoppers are 57-61 all-time against the current membership of the ACC.
The second round of the NIT is slated for March 16-19, with the quarterfinals on March 20-21. The semifinals (March 27) and championship game (March 29) are played at Madison Square Garden in New York.
WKU’s 24 wins are its most since the 2008-09 season. The Hilltoppers have 10 wins over programs with at least 20 victories.
(From WKU Athletics)