Jackson State women's basketball team heads to Memphis for WNIT first-round game

Its body of work during the season was not enough to get the Jackson State women's basketball team into the NCAA Tournament. But its Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season title got it automatic qualification into the 2023 Women's National Invitational Tournament.

JSU (21-9) will play at Memphis (20-10) at 7 p.m. Thursday (ESPN+ streaming).

The last time Jackson State made the WNIT, Tomekia Reed was an assistant coach in 2007, when JSU lost to Tulane 76-43.

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Jackson State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season title for the fourth consecutive season. For the team and seniors, it is not the desired result hoped for at the beginning of the season, but it is a chance to win a championship.

Reed built this team for the NCAA Tournament, but a 65-64 loss on a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to nemesis and SWAC tournament champion Southern knocked the Lady Tigers out of the tournament.

Jackson State (21-9) played a daunting schedule against North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA and Washington State. Five of the 10 Power Five teams JSU played are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State women's basketball at Memphis in WNIT first round