2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament

The 2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 64 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2013 Women's NCAA tournament. The annual tournament began on March 20 and ends on April 6. All games were played on the campus sites of participating schools. It was won by the Drexel Dragons.^[1][2]

2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament

Season	2012–13
Teams	64
Finals site	Daskalakis Athletic Center Philadelphia
Champions	Drexel (1st title)
Runner-up	Utah (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Kansas State Florida
Winning coach	Denise Dillon (1st title)
MVP	Hollie Mershon (Drexel)
Attendance	1,922 (championship game)
Women's National Invitation Tournaments «2012 2014»

Participants

The following 64 teams are the teams selected to participate in the 2013 WNIT. 31 teams have earned automatic berths into the tournament from being the highest-ranked team in their conference that failed to make the NCAA women's tournament. 33 teams earned an at-large bid into the WNIT by having a winning record but failing to make the NCAA Women's Tournament.^[3]

Automatic qualifiers Conference School America East Boston University Atlantic 10 Charlotte ACC Atlantic Sun Florida Gulf Coast Big 12 Kansas State Big East Big Sky Northern Colorado Big South Winthrop Big Ten Illinois Big West Pacific Colonial James Madison C-USA SMU Horizon Youngstown State Ivy League Harvard MAAC Iona MAC Toledo MEAC North Carolina A&T Missouri Valley Illinois State Mountain West San Diego State Northeast Sacred Heart Ohio Valley Eastern Illinois Pac-12 Washington Patriot Army SEC Arkansas Southern Davidson Southland Sam Houston State SWAC Texas Southern Summit IUPUI Sun Belt UALR WCC San Diego WAC Seattle

At-large bids School Conference Akron MAC Appalachian State SoCon Auburn SEC Ball State MAC Bowling Green MAC Butler A10 BYU WCC Drexel CAA Duquesne A10 East Carolina C-USA Eastern Washington Big Sky FIU Sun Belt Florida SEC Fordham A10 Hartford America East Hawaii Big West Idaho State Big Sky Indiana State MVC Long Beach State Big West Marquette Big East Memphis C-USA Miami (OH) MAC Minnesota Big Ten Missouri SEC NC State ACC Northern Iowa MVC Old Dominion CAA Richmond A10 Saint Mary's WCC Tulane C-USA UAB C-USA UCSB Big West Utah Pac 12 Western Kentucky Sun Belt Wyoming Mountain West

Final Four games

Utah faced Kansas State in one semifinal of the WNIT played at Kansas State. Utah appeared to be in control early on, leading 21–7 with eight minutes to go in the first half, and still led by 12, 35 – 23 with just under 14 minutes left to go in the game. Utah scored the 39th point with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the game, but did not score again in regulation; Kansas State scored eight straight to tie the game at 39 points apiece. Despite scored only 13 points in the second half, Utah then scored 15 points in the five minutes of overtime to only 7 for the Wildcats to win the game 54–46 to advance to the championship game.^[4][5] Michelle Plouffe was the leading scorer for Utah with 24 points.^[6]

In the other semi final, the Drexel Dragons faced the Florida Gators. The Dragons were behind early but scored 11 consecutive points to take a 10 point lead halfway through the first half. Florida pulled within five points in the second half, Drexel pushed the lead back up to double digits in maintain that lead almost all the  rest of the game. Florida could lead to eight points in the final minute but Drexel hung on to win 67–57. Hollie Mershon had a double double with 28 points and 10 assists for Drexel.^[7]

In the championship game, Utah pulled out to a slim three point lead at halftime in a low-scoring game 24–21. Drexel reclaimed the lead in the second half, but Utah was up by a single point, 43–42 with less than a minute remaining in the game. Drexel Senior Holly Mershon hit a layup with 22 seconds left in the game to give the Dragons a one point lead. Utah failed to score then fouled Mershon who hit  two free throws in the final seconds to seal the win. Mershon ended with 14 points while her teammate Taylor Wootton recorded 16 points including passing the 1000 point mark for her career. The final score was 46–43 giving the 2013 WNIT championship to the Drexel Dragons.^[8] Holly Mershon was named the tournament MVP.^[9][10]

Bracket

Region 1

	First round March 20–22				Second round March 23–25				Third round March 27–28				Fourth Round March 30
	Washington	65
	Eastern Washington	60
					Washington	78
					Pacific	85
	Pacific	69
	UALR	65
									Pacific	55
									Utah	60
	Long Beach St	49
	Utah	56
					Utah	61
					San Diego	50
	San Diego	61
	Hawaii	49
													Utah	58
													St. Mary's	55
	San Diego State	69
	UCSB	46
					San Diego State	58
					BYU	69
	BYU	69
	Idaho State	54
									BYU	55
									St. Mary's	59
	Wyoming	63
	Northern Colorado	71
					Northern Colorado	58
					St. Mary's	68
	St. Mary's	68
	Seattle University	51

Region 2

	First round March 20–22				Second round March 23–25				Third round March 28				Fourth Round March 30
	Minnesota	51
	Ball State	54
					Ball State	53
					Northern Iowa	48
	Marquette	59
	Northern Iowa	61
									Ball State	48
									Kansas State	60
	Kansas State	72
	Texas Southern	44
					Kansas State	57
					Illinois State	48
	Illinois State	63
	IUPUI	47
													Kansas State	66
													Illinois	48
	Toledo	63
	Butler	49
					Toledo	61
					Youngstown State	43
	Youngstown State	63
	Indiana State	51
									Toledo	55
									Illinois	63
	Illinois	73
	Miami (OH)	60
					Illinois	62
					Eastern Illinois	54
	Missouri	58
	Eastern Illinois	60

Region 3

	First round March 20–22				Second round March 23–25				Third round March 27–28				Fourth Round March 30
	WKU	88OT
	East Carolina	77
					WKU	66
					Auburn	84
	Auburn	80
	UAB	57
									Auburn	72
									Tulane	52
	Arkansas	67
	Memphis	57
					Arkansas	48
					Tulane	60
	Tulane	65
	Sam Houston State	57
													Auburn	43
													Drexel	56
	Drexel	59
	Iona	50
					Drexel	82
					Harvard	72
	Hartford	57
	Harvard	61
									Drexel	50
									Bowling Green	47
	Duquesne	71
	Akron	66
					Bowling Green	61
					Duquesne	54
	Bowling Green	76
	SMU	70

Region 4

	First round March 20–22				Second round March 23–25				Third round March 27				Fourth Round March 30
	Boston U	61
	Sacred Heart	49
					Boston U	44
					Fordham	58
	Fordham	55
	Army	46
									Fordham	61
									James Madison	77
	James Madison	77
	North Carolina A&T	64
					James Madison	72
					NC State	66
	NC State	60
	Richmond	55
													James Madison	80
													Florida	85
	Old Dominion	73
	Davidson	82
					Davidson	60
					Charlotte	72
	Charlotte	79
	Appalachian State	61
									Charlotte	65
									Florida	67
	FGCU	51
	Winthrop	65
					Winthrop	53
					Florida	84
	FIU	68
	Florida	75

Semifinals and championship game

Played at host schools

	Semifinals April 3					Championship Game April 6
	Utah		54OT
	Kansas State		46
						Utah		43
						Drexel		46
	Drexel		67
	Florida		57

All-tournament team

• Hollie Mershon, Drexel (MVP)
• Taylor Wootton, Drexel
• Michelle Plouffe, Utah
• Taryn Wicijowski, Utah
• Brittany Chambers, Kansas State
• Sydney Moss, Florida

Source:^[11]

See also

• 2013 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2013 Women's Basketball Invitational
• 2013 National Invitation Tournament
• 2012 Women's National Invitation Tournament

References

1. "Drexel Women Beat Utah 46-43 To Win WNIT Title". April 6, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
2. "Drexel Dragons Win 2013 WNIT Championship". womensnit.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
3. "2013 Postseason WNIT Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament" (PDF). womensnit.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
4. "Utah - Kansas State gamecast". ESPN.
5. "Utah women advance to WNIT title game". www.ksl.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
6. "Utah - Kansas State boxscore". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021.
7. "WBB WNIT Championship". DrexelNow. April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
8. "Utah vs. Drexel - Game Recap - April 6, 2013 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
9. "Drexel Dragons Win 2013 WNIT Championship". womensnit.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
10. "Women's Basketball Captures the 2013 WNIT Championship". Drexel University Athletics. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
11. "Drexel Dragons Win 2013 WNIT Championship". womensnit.com. April 6, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2022.