The Missouri women’s basketball team will start postseason play tonight when they host Illinois State in the WNIT.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena (SEC Network-Plus).
It’s the 10th postseason appearance in the past 11 years for Missouri, with the last three coming in the WNIT.
Missouri (17-13) has not played since dropping an 85-74 decision to Arkansas in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Lauren Hansen had 19 points to lead the Tigers in that game.
It will be the first time Missouri coach Robin Pingeton will take on her former school. Pingeton left Illinois State in April 2010 to come to Missouri after leading the Redbirds to three straight Missouri Valley Conference titles and a pair of NCAAmTournament berths.
The Redbirds finished with a 24-8 overall record this season, going 17-3 in the MVC. Illinois State lost 74-54 to Drake in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament.
Senior guard Paige Robinson leads the Redbirds with 18.7 points per game, which ranks 30th nationally. She has hit 40.1 percent of her 3-point attempts, good for 34th in the country.
Illinois State is eighth in the nation in 3-point percentage at 37.7. Missouri is 25th at 35.8 percent.
Missouri is 11-4 all-time against Illinois State. The Tigers won the last meeting 83-63 on Dec. 12, 2000.
The Missouri-Illinois State winner will face the winner of Kansas (19-11) and Western Kentucky (19-13) in the second round of the tournament.