Ananiev posts 18 points and six blocks in Pilots' win

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Women’s National Invitational Tournament (NIT) — First Round

🇦🇺 Portland Pilots 62 def. Sam Houston Bearkats 59 (Final)

Portland closed strongly in the fourth quarter to secure a narrow Women’s NIT first-round victory after Sam Houston kept the contest tight through three periods.

Australian guard Dyani Ananiev produced a major two-way performance, finishing with 18 points, four rebounds and six blocks in 32 minutes. Ananiev shot 7-from-12 from the field and 2-from-6 from three, adding two assists and one steal to help stabilise Portland’s defence and interior presence.

The Pilots shot 45% from the field and generated 18 assists, with Lainey Spear contributing 14 points and nine rebounds while Brynn Smith added 10 points off the bench.

Sam Houston committed 24 turnovers and struggled from the perimeter, going 0-from-5 from three, despite Nyla Inmon’s 18 points and Fanta Kone’s 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Portland improves to 19–14 and advances, while Sam Houston’s season concludes at 18–13.

🇦🇺 Pepperdine Waves 71 def. UC Davis Aggies 68 (Final)

Pepperdine edged UC Davis in a tight Women’s NIT first-round contest, using a strong fourth quarter to overturn a late deficit and advance at home.

Australian forward Bella Green delivered a dominant rebounding performance off the bench, finishing with nine points and 15 rebounds in 22 minutes. Green shot a perfect 3-from-3 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, adding two assists and four offensive boards to help Pepperdine control the glass late.

The Waves won the rebounding battle 44–31, generating crucial second-chance opportunities in the closing minutes. Elli Guiney led all scorers with 27 points, hitting six three-pointers, while Taija Sta. Maria added 13 points and six assists.

UC Davis received 21 points from Ryann Bennett and 16 from Avery Sussex, but could not maintain momentum in the final period despite shooting 35% from three.

Pepperdine improves to 20–12 and progresses, while UC Davis finishes its season at 23–11.

Monmouth Hawks 72 def. 🇦🇺 Lehigh Mountain Hawks 62 (Final)

Monmouth used a strong fourth quarter to pull away from Lehigh and advance in the Women’s NIT first round after a tight three-period contest.

Australian guard Alanna Reddy started and played 35 minutes, finishing with eight points, four assists and four steals. Reddy shot 3-from-6 from the field and 2-from-4 from three, providing defensive activity and ball pressure as Lehigh attempted to stay within reach.

Lehigh was led by Belle Bramer’s 19 points, but struggled from the perimeter, shooting 6-from-28 (21%) from three and committing 14 turnovers.

Monmouth featured balanced scoring, with Divine Dibula scoring 20 points on 10-from-12 shooting, while Gigi Gamble added 19 points and Alexis Andrews contributed 17 points. The Hawks shot 56% from the field to maintain scoreboard control late.

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks 59 def. 🇦🇺 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 48 (Final)

Maryland Eastern Shore controlled the rebounding battle and limited Wake Forest’s scoring efficiency to secure a first-round Women’s NIT victory on the road.

Australian guard Opal Bird started and played 34 minutes, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds. Bird shot 3-from-10 from the field and 1-from-3 from three, while adding two blocks and one steal as Wake Forest struggled to generate consistent offence.

The Demon Deacons shot just 32% from the field and 4-from-23 (17%) from three, committing 21 turnovers that limited their ability to build momentum.

Wake Forest received 19 points from Mary Carter, but Maryland Eastern Shore’s dominance on the glass — 44–33 rebounds — proved decisive. The Hawks were led by Kaliya Perry’s 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Dakieran Turner added 16 rebounds to help control possession.

🇦🇺 Binghamton Bearcats 81 def. Mercyhurst Lakers 60 (Final)

Binghamton produced a dominant offensive performance to secure a comfortable Women’s NIT first-round victory, maintaining control throughout the second half.

Australian forward Leah Fowler saw brief late-game minutes, playing less than one minute, and did not record a statistic as the Bearcats rotated their bench during the closing stages.

Binghamton shot 58% from the field and controlled the boards 41–26, led by Kendall Bennett’s 23 points and 16 rebounds. Bella Pucci and Meghan Casey each added 13 points as the Bearcats generated consistent interior scoring opportunities.

Mercyhurst received 17 points from Sofia Wilson and 15 from Jenna Van Schaik, but struggled with shooting efficiency, finishing 35% from the field and 24% from three.

What is the WNIT?

• A secondary national postseason competition, similar in concept to the men’s NIT.
• Features automatic qualifiers (usually regular-season conference champions who miss the NCAA Tournament) plus at-large selections.
• Provides teams with additional meaningful postseason games, development opportunities, and national exposure.

Tournament format

• Traditionally a single-elimination bracket played across campus venues.
• Field size has varied over time (often 48 or 64 teams).
• Games are hosted by participating schools rather than neutral sites.

Purpose and significance

• Extends the season for competitive teams outside the NCAA field.
• Offers younger rosters extra high-pressure experience.
• Can be a platform for individual performances, program momentum, and recruiting visibility.

WNIT vs WBIT

Recently, the NCAA introduced the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) — a separate new postseason event.

• WNIT – historically run by outside organisers (Triple Crown Sports).
• WBIT – NCAA-run tournament launched as an additional postseason pathway.